Fire Emblem: Another Awakening
by NumberCDLI
Summary: [Time-Travel AU] Instead of dying, Robin gets thrown back in time. After a short case of amnesia, he decides to not have the future repeat itself with the help of a second "Robin". [Thumbnail artist: Lo-wah of DeviantArt] [Link: /art/Fire-Emblem-Eternal-Bonds-455121160]
1. (I) All Ends are Beginnings I

**Author's note: Just another writer's take on the story of Fire Emblem: Awakening, like the countless others on this site. And like almost every other story, there are some personal twists to this story, but the main plot will be the same.** **T** **he story deviates quite a bit further in so...that's that** **. Critiques and reviews are appreciated since it'll point out any flaws in my writing.**

 **Hope you enjoy, and I'll catch you on the flipside.**

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Rapid footsteps echoed off the walls as two men ran down the marble flooring of a grand hall. Behind them, the sounds of war could be heard. Screams of men filled the air as they let out their last breath, the dull thuds of weapons clashing against armor and shields, and the vibrant hum of magic being tossed around was loud enough that Robin felt as if he was still outside, in the midst of the battle, rather than inside a desolate castle.

"Robin? What's wrong?"

He looked up at the face of a man with navy blue hair. Robin winced as the torchlight bounced off of the man's armor and into his eyes.

"Naga above, that's blinding," Robin cursed. "Tell me again why you decided to wax your armor?"

"Because it got dirty from our previous skirmish?" the other man retorted.

"Yes, clean your armor only for it to get dirty the next day in a fight against our enemy's king," Robin sassed. "It's not as if Validar is one of the most powerful dark mages in the land. Shiny armor isn't going to help deflect his magic in any way."

The man crossed his arms. "You didn't answer my question."

Realizing that the man wasn't going to let it go, Robin sighed as he ran his fingers through his snow colored hair. His feet crawled to a stop in front of a looming set of obsidian doors, and he took in a deep breath.

"It's just... Chrom, I don't feel right about leaving the others," Robin confessed. "We should be fighting with them, watching their backs as they watch ours, not running off to face Validar."

It was Chrom's turn to sigh. "I know. The Shepherds fight together, live together, and laugh together. What we're doing goes against what we are, but this gives us the highest rate of success." His frown turned into a playful smirk as he lightly punched Robin on the arm. "Isn't that what you said at the meeting, o Revered Tactician of the Shepherds?"

"Only so that you would stop shaking in your boots, Prince Chrom," Robin replied without missing a beat, just as he had done countless times in the past.

"Hey, I'm Exalt now, remember?" Chrom jabbed.

"To the rest of the world? Sure. However, you're still that same prince I met on that beaten road all those years ago to me."

"And you - "

" - I am most definitely not that same amateur tactician-in-training from back then, Chrom, and you know it," Robin interrupted with a victorious grin on his face. His grin faded when Chrom's lips curled into a confident smile.

"I was going to say that you're still that same sarcastic, snarky pansy of a tactician from that time, but if your self-confidence is so fragile that you need to keep reminding yourself of your skill in tactics, that's fine."

Robin opened his mouth to make a retort, but words failed to form and he clicked his tongue in mild irritation.

"Alright, I'll give you this one," Robin huffed.

"Yes!" Chrom victoriously pumped his fist in the air and Robin couldn't blame him. It wasn't often that Chrom would win in their childish banter and he relished every single one of his few wins.

Both of their smiles vanished instantly when the earth rumbled. From down the hall, past the main doors of the hall that the two of them were in, was the muffled sound of an explosion. Their moods dropped and turned serious as they focused on their task.

"Let's go."

With those two words, Chrom placed his hand on one of the obsidian doors as Robin placed his hand on the other. Before either of them were able to apply any pressure on the door, an unseen force pulled the doors aside.

"It'd be quite rude of us to refuse such an invitation, wouldn't you agree?" Robin asked.

"Quite indeed," Chrom agreed, and the two stepped forward into the room.

The first thing that Robin noticed was the dim lighting of the room. Unlike the grand hall that he was just in, there weren't any windows in this room, nor were there any torches or chandeliers. The second thing that he noticed was the drop in temperature, almost as if he was standing in a field of snow. The last thing that he noticed was a gilded table on the opposite end of the room, which was cloaked in a purple flame.

As he and Chrom continued to walk forward, their shadows stretched across the floor and the two of them drew their respective weapons; Robin took out silver tome with a golden binding from the inside of his cloak, and Chrom unsheathed an elegant sword from his side. No matter how many times he saw it, Robin's eyes were drawn to the unique, tear-shaped guard of Chrom's sword.

Their shadows met in front of the flame-lit table, pooling together to create a murky puddle. The puddle started to squirm and writhe about before it started to rise into the air.

"That's disgusting," Robin distastefully said.

"Now now, is that how you are to speak to your father?" A voice chided as the puddle started to take shape into an ovular void. A tall figure strode out, dressed in a dark robe that openly revealed a large portion of his torso. A short cape flowed freely behind the figure, which was only visible due to the golden marking on the end of the cape in the dark room. "I expected better from you, my son."

Raising his arms slightly, Robin channeled mana through his arm and to his open tome. White lightning sparked to life on the pages, which he transferred over onto his free hand.

"Consider me a disowned child then," Robin scowled.

"Light magic? No matter. Disowned or not, a father must discipline his son," Validar calmly replied. "And yours is long overdue. Now, be a good boy and accept your punishment for abandoning your fate!"

With the lightning that was flowing around his hand, Robin crafted a ball of pure light. "Not happening."

"You ungrateful little brat!" Validar growled.

Robin let loose his magic before Validar finished speaking. The torrent of lightning crashed against an invisible wall in front of Validar and Chrom ran forward. The moment Robin's lightning dissipated into feeble sparks, Validar retaliated with a narrow beam of dark magic, which Robin deflected with a burst of mana. The magic was sent back at Validar, who changed its trajectory at Chrom with a lazy wave of his hand.

A surprised yelp escaped Chrom's throat as he rolled to the side. Validar's magic harmlessly passed by Chrom and he got up to see a mass of dark energy swirling around Validar's hand. Cackling, the mage loosed a bulletstorm of dark matter at Chrom.

"Obex!"

Robin yelled a single word incantation and a crystalline barrier honeycombed outward in front of Chrom. The barrier lasted for only a few seconds as Validar's bullets tore off chunks of the barrier at a time, but those few seconds were enough from Chrom to reach Validar.

"Fools!" Validar swiped his hand in front of him, generating a powerful wind that buffeted the two Shepherds. Chrom, who was much closer to Validar than Robin, was forcefully thrown backward, while Robin was only pushed back a few feet. "It is still a hundred years too early for you to face me!"

"Is that overconfidence I'm hearing?" Robin asked.

"Stay focused, Robin!" Chrom scolded, picking himself off the ground.

"I'm very focused," Robin replied. "If he's overconfident, we - rather, _I_ can exploit that."

"You've got that look in your eyes again," Chrom said. "Whatever it is that you're going to do, know that you have my complete trust, just like the countless times before."

"I'm flattered," Robin deadpanned. "Just one thing..."

Chrom raised an eyebrow at Robin, who gave him an apologetic smile.

"You might want to prepare yourself for...uhh...for some queasiness."

It took a moment for Chrom to process Robin's words, but when he did, a look of horror dawned on his face.

"Shall we?" Robin grinned.

Without waiting for an answer, Robin ran towards Validar, who was kind enough to patiently wait for the two to finish speaking. Muttering a quick spell under his breath and onto his tome, Robin crafted fireball in his hand as four spears of lightning materialized around him. Validar, in turn, started to pool mana from the black tome into his hand, creating a vortex of purple energy at his feet.

Two of Robin's spears shot forward, both of them striking against another one of Validar's barriers. Without wasting any time, Robin threw his fireball, which erupted into a pillar of flame upon impact with the barrier. Knowing full well that the flames would obscure Validar's vision, Robin shot a mass of mana into the air above Validar's head. The mana flashed once before vanishing, and Robin pocketed his Light tome.

He reached out and grabbed the remaining to lightning spears in his hands when a bolt of dark energy shot out from the pillar of flame. The bolt hit him in the chest, knocking the air out of his lungs and throwing him backward. Before he even landed, the ground beneath him erupted with dark energy, and Robin recognized the energy as the same vortex that surrounded Validar moments before. The vortex ragdolled Robin straight into the air, where three purple fireballs homed in on him. The following explosion shook the room and destroyed a portion of the ceiling in the process.

Confident that Robin would be out of the fight for at least a short time, Validar turned his attention to Chrom. The mage sneered and released a volley of purple fireballs. To his surprise, the approaching Shepherd was able to knock aside the fireballs with ease without slowing down. Deflecting magic with anything but mana would require an unreasonable amount of precision as the weapon would have to hit the "core" of the magic without detonating the fireballs. Validar concluded that the exalt's actions bordered on bravery and idiocy.

Validar decided to use a different magic. Projectile magic with a set form had a "core" that can be exploited, but a formless magic, such as a web of lightning, had no such weakness. Mana pooled in Validar's hands with a quick chant. Fire and lightning enveloped his right and left hand respectively, both purple in color.

"As if I'd let you!" Chrom roared.

The Exalt reached behind him and pulled out a spear so short that it was easily hidden underneath his cape. In a smooth motion, Chrom swung his arm and released the spear.

While the spear was easily sidestepped by Validar, it was enough to distract the caster for a couple seconds. Those few seconds were enough for the gap between Validar and Chrom to become nonexistent. Lightning arced across the room as Validar met Chrom's sword with his lightning enveloped hand. A stalemate ensued as neither force was able to gain the upper hand.

"You and the child..." Validar growled. "Why do you both continue to resist? You cannot hope to change what is set in stone! The ending of a story!"

"Maybe it is set in stone," Chrom muttered.

"Then - "

"However!" Chrom pushed down on his sword, pushing back Validar just an inch. Lightning ran down his sword and started to electrocute his arms, but he kept applying more force despite the growing pain. "We, the Shepherds, have a tendency to go against the norm! We'll prove that 'impossible' is nothing more than a limitation that man set upon himself! We've defeated a mad king, fought against an army with a force barely a quarter of their size and won, and toppled a god emperor!"

Validar scowled behind the raging magic. "You damned dogs of Naga..."

"And now, we'll put an end to your so-called destiny!" Chrom shouted. "Isn't that right, ROBIN!"

Pain exploded in Validar's chest. His strength momentarily waned, his magic flickered, and Chrom's sword sliced through Validar's torso like a hot knife through butter. As he crumpled to his knees, Validar looked down at his chest and saw a spearhead protruding from his body.

"You nearly killed yourself with your monologue, you know that?"

Validar's eyes widened when he heard the voice behind him.

"I'm fine, Robin."

"Sure, because having lightning course through your body with your own sword as a conductor won't do anything to your body at all, right? It's not as if your insides would get fried or anything."

These damned sheep. Did they really think they won? Did they really think that they could have a casual banter in front of him?

"You...you impudent..." Validar rasped. Rage bloomed within him and a wild flame gathered in his hand. "You impudent pieces of TRASH!"

He slammed his palm onto the floor. The raging fire in his hand was sent into the ground, and the flooring began to crack open. Purple fire shot out of the cracks like a geyser, and Chrom and Robin had no choice but to move away from Validar lest they get hit by the flames.

"I thought you would've killed him," Chrom said to Robin when they were a safe distance away.

"I speared him through the center of his chest! With the spear that _you_ missed, mind you! What more do you want me to do?!" Robin retorted.

"I don't know, how about stabbing his heart!?"

"I thought you had that when you cut his chest open!"

"Of course not!"

"Then don't go blaming me for his not-death because you're part of it!"

Heat washed over the two as Validar rose to his feet. The dark mage's eyes were practically glowing in anger as he ripped the spear from his chest and threw it onto the floor. The geysers of fire had faded, but the heat from the flames still remained. Without a word or a chant, a dark bubble surrounded Validar.

"That's just fantastic." Robin rolled his eyes. "He had the time to put up a safety bubble. Nice work, Chrom."

"Don't you dare go there," Chrom said as he glared at the person he called his friend. "Not after we just ended the previous argument."

"That wasn't even an argument," Robin muttered.

The air thickened with magic as Validar's bubble darkened. Ripples spread across the surface of the bubble as countless beams of dark energy shot out of the bubble. The beams flew towards the two Shepherds, slicing through the air at unnatural angles.

"Obex!"

Robin slammed his foot down in front of him and a crystalline barrier sprouted from the ground. The beams crashed against the barrier, ripping off large portions with each hit. It was obvious that the barrier wouldn't last for more than ten seconds, Robin brought his fingertips together in front of his chest and started to channel another magic. A white light formed in the space between his palms and grew more intense by the second.

"Robin, whatever it is that you're going to do, do it quickly-"

"Shut it, I'm concentrating!"

Robin cut off Chrom so that he could focus on his magic. One of Validar's beams managed to puncture a hole in the barrier and just barely grazed the side of Robin's head. A second beam tore through the barrier and headed for Robin's chest, but was blocked by Chrom's sword before it could hit the caster.

"Robiiiinnnn!" Cold sweat rolled down Chrom's face as he watched the barrier start to dissipate.

The barrier finally shattered under the relentless barrage of magic, and Chrom raised his sword in a defensive stance. The beams continued their angular flight towards the two Shepherds. Chrom braced himself for the magic, but it never came. A watery screen was suspended in the air in front of him, absorbing all of Validar's magic. Behind him, Robin let out a deep sigh.

"Did you really have to wait until the last second?" Chrom turned around and immediately regretted saying anything.

Beads of sweat had formed on Robin's forehead and he was breathing a little bit heavier than normal. Chrom didn't know much about magic, but he knew enough that casting powerful magic would put a strain on the user's body, similar to physical exercise. Robin was one of the most powerful magic casters that he knew, and for his breath to be labored must mean that the consecutive magic had taken a toll on Robin.

"I would've finished earlier had you not been such a nuisance. Also, what did you think putting your guard up would've done? That magic would've run right through you." Robin pointed at his head, the area just above his right temple, which now had a large gash in it thanks to getting grazed by one of Validar's beams earlier.

"I-It was on instinct... Anyways! What magic was that?" Chrom motioned over to the screen, eager to change the topic.

Robin didn't answer immediately. Instead, he ran a magically heated finger across the cut on his head, cauterizing it just enough for the bleeding to stop. When he was done, he relaxed his face, ridding himself of the grimace that he wore during the cauterizing process. As he was wiping the blood that ran down the side of his face with his sleeve, Robin decided to answer Chrom.

"Spacial magic. I merely redirected Validar's magic elsewhere."

As he spoke, Robin gestured over to where Validar stood. Above the dark mage was a small ball of light, and Validar's beams of magic was pouring out of it, hammering down onto Validar's protective bubble. The bubble started to dissipate under the torrent of magic, much like how it easily destroyed Robin's barrier.

"By the way, I figured I ought to tell you..." Robin clapped his hand down on Chrom's shoulder. A playful smirk was plastered on his face. "You might want to get ready for that queasiness that I spoke of earlier. You'll appear above Validar, where I placed my magic. In three..."

"Wait, what?"

"Two."

"Robin, what are - "

"One."

Just as Robin finished counting down, Chrom realized what Robin meant. Unfortunately for him, Robin had already activated his magic, literally flipping Chrom's world upside down. The ceiling was now below his feet and the ground above his head. The last of Validar's dark magic whistled by Chrom's ears as they completely disintegrated Validar's bubble.

Chrom managed to flip himself right side up as he fell. He raised his sword above his head to strike Validar during his fall, but that idea left his head in an instant as Validar looked up eyes full of hate. A stream of purple fire was loosed from the mage's hand, and Chrom was in no position to dodge. He braced himself for the incoming flames, but instead of a burning pain, he felt a churn in his stomach. A second later, and Chrom found himself drop kicking Validar from the back. He landed on the marble floor with the grace of a sickly water buffalo, and he rolled onto his feet just as a plume of purple flames shot out of the ground where he was a second ago.

Heat washed over Chrom's face as he stood to his feet. His vision was painted a bright violet, and then his chest erupted in scorching pain as he was hit by a blast of fire. The force of the magic threw him backward and into a wall. Before gravity even had a chance to pull him down, spikes of dark energy ran through his body, impaling him to the wall.

"You will _all_ die today!" Validar seethed.

The dark mage was weakened, that much was obvious. He was heavily favoring one leg over the other, his clothes were ripped in various places from Robin redirecting his magic, and wounds were visible from the torn clothing. Despite all this, dark energy was swirling around him, and his eyes seemed to glow from rage alone. He raised his hand, and flames wreathed in lightning burst to life in his palm.

"Neither of you will leave this place alive," Validar vowed.

A figure appeared in the air behind Validar, and the mage stepped to the side as Robin's axe kick slammed down onto the ground. Robin then ducked as Validar's lightning flames ripped the air apart above his head, and he struck Validar's side with an open palm. Blood erupted from Validar's mouth from Robin's blow, and he was forced back by a few meters.

Exhaling through his mouth, Robin lowered his center of gravity and bent his knees slightly as he took an unarmed combat stance. His left hand was burned from coming into contact with the energy surrounding Validar, but he ignored the pain. He flexed his hand, curling and uncurling his fingers, and lightning crackled to life around his hands and feet.

"Brat..."

"Geezer," Robin retorted.

"What manner of magic are you using?" Validar questioned, narrowing his eyes at Robin's lightning coated limbs.

"I'm not about to tell that to the likes of you," Robin calmly answered.

Kicking off the ground, Robin flew towards Validar. A plume of fire burst out of the ground between the two, but Robin nimbly stepped around it and used the momentum to throw a kick at Validar. His attack failed to hit as Validar took a step back, and the instant Robin had both feet on the ground, he kicked off once more. This took Validar surprise, and Robin's knee smashed into his chin.

Before Robin started to fall, he managed to twist his body around and raised his leg high over his head. He cast a burst of wind from his feet and used it to swing his heel down onto Validar's skull, only for it to be blocked just barely by Validar crossing his arms over his head. Robin pushed himself off of Validar's arms, buying himself another couple seconds in the air. Another burst of wind was cast, giving Robin just the amount of force required to turn his body and throw another kick from the air. His lightning reinforced kick landed squarely against the side of Validar's head, and the dark mage was forcefully sent sliding across the floor.

Robin's feet finally touched the ground. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheek as he steadied his breathing patterns. He was vaguely aware of the fact that Chrom managed to dislodge himself off the wall, but he was more focused on Validar, who was rising to his feet. The proud king of Plegia was on his last legs, and all three people in the room were well aware of that fact.

But, Validar wasn't the only one that was weakened. The wounds Chrom received from Validar severely damage his body, and he was losing blood fast. Robin was hardly injured, but he was running very low on his mana reserves. It wasn't as if he was helpless without the aid of magic; he still had his sword and martial arts. However, no mana meant that he wouldn't be able to redirect any of Validar's magic attacks, and Robin had no idea how much mana Validar had remaining.

"You are a disgrace!" Validar spat at Robin.

The sudden insult threw off Robin's focus, and he was hit by an arc of electricity as a result. Dark lightning coursed through his veins, numbing his limbs.

"Beg pardon?" Robin managed to control his tongue just enough to toss Validar a reply.

"You are a disgrace!" Validar repeated, hurling fireballs at Robin in unison. "You pride yourself in magic, yet you fight in such a barbaric manner? You bring shame to all magic users throughout both the world and history!"

"Never said I was purely a magic user," Robin said through grit teeth. He sidestepped most of the fireballs and knocked away the few that he couldn't dodge with his hands. After deflecting the last fireball, Robin flicked his hand behind his back before proceeding to taunt Validar. "Why not try expanding your skill set? If you did, maybe you wouldn't be losing this fight, _father_. Or, perhaps you don't have the Fell Dragon's blessing at all?"

A vein popped up on Validar's forehead. The taunt had clearly worked, and Validar opened his tome. Roughly a third of the pages were torn out of its spine before they quickly burst into black flames. The flames started to gather together in front of Validar, creating a giant ball of fire so powerful that it started to burn up the oxygen in the room. The moisture in the air vanished, and Robin's lips cracked from the lack of moisture.

"That looks incredibly dangerous," Robin said to himself.

Extinguishing the lightning from his limbs, he threw mana into his arms as he began to weave magic together. The mana started to take shape into a transparent sphere with a watery surface, and it only grew in size as Robin poured more of his mana into it.

"BURN IN REGRET AND SUFFERING!" Validar roared, throwing the large fireball in Robin's direction.

Robin cursed in his head. He miscalculated the time it would take for his magic to finish and canceled his magic. Channeling a new spell, he reached out to his side and made a grabbing motion with his hand. His vision tunneled and his stomach lurched, and Robin was now standing roughly ten meters from where was a second ago.

The fireball detonated behind him, creating an explosion so large and powerful that it shook the earth. The force of the explosion tossed Robin through the air and into one of the many pillars in the room, despite him having been far away from the explosion itself.

"I thought he wanted me alive... That attack would've killed me," Robin groaned.

Before he was able to get up, Validar was already in front of him, grabbed his neck, and hoisted him up into the air. The fingers around his neck tightened their grip, cutting off his airflow. Robin grabbed onto Validar's wrist in an attempt to pry off the cold fingers, but the dark king was stronger than he expected.

"Do not test me, _boy_ ," Validar growled. "You may be the vessel for Lord Grima, but that does not mean that you are untouchable. You WILL submit, and it is entirely up to you how much suffering you'll bring upon yourself. Fate cannot be changed!"

Robin's vision was starting to fade as the strength in his arms. There was no way for him to free himself from Validar's grasp. At least, by himself.

"Heh, maybe," Robin smirked and grasped onto the arm that was holding him up, much to Validar's confusion and irritation. He raised his free hand up between his and Validar's face and placed the tip of his middle finger against his thumb. "But, as we've told you time and time again, we make our own fate!"

He closed his eyes and snapped his fingers, creating a sudden flash of light. He felt Validar's attempt to pull his arm back from shock but was unable to do so since Robin was tightly grabbing onto his arm. With the grip on his throat loosening, Robin was able to take in a deep breath.

"CHROM!"

Validar's reaction was exactly as Robin expected. He watched in triumph as the dark mage, still blinded, swept his arm behind him, creating a wave of flames. The flames would have burnt Chrom to ashes... That is to say, if Chrom was running up from the back. Instead, the exalt fell down from a ripple in the air above them with his sword raised high. As he landed on the ground, he swung his sword with all his might and cut off the arm holding Robin just above the elbow.

The pained howl that came from Validar was unlike anything Robin ever heard. It was as if it split the very air itself, and Robin's ears started to ring. Tossing the fact that he could barely hear aside, Robin ran forward and slammed his palm into the center of Validar's chest and released a powerful burst of mana. He felt Validar's ribs crack from his blow, and he followed up with another palm strike to his jaw.

As Validar stumbled backward, Robin swiftly pivoted behind him and struck him square in the back with his elbow. The mage was sent forward and impaled himself straight onto Chrom's sword.

"It's over, Validar," Chrom coolly said, twisting his blade further into Validar's gut.

"Nothing...is over...brat!" Validar coughed.

Validar grabbed onto Chrom's sword, not caring about his hand getting sliced open. With the stump that was his other arm, he started to prepare a powerful magic. It was the same concept that Robin pulled earlier, only Robin grabbed onto a limb, not a weapon. That worked to his advantage as Robin performed a yanking motion at Chrom, and he vanished and reappeared face down next to him. Without having Chrom's sword to hold onto, Validar fell to the floor, and his magic flew off towards the ceiling.

Nothing moved. Silence hung in the air, ironically deafening for what it was. Robin counted the number of his heartbeats as he stared at Validar's fallen body, making sure if he was dead or not. A full minute passed in this manner, and satisfied that Validar was finally dead, Robin let out a deep sigh and looked down at Chrom, who was still lying prone on the ground.

"How was your trip?" Robin playfully asked.

"I hate you." Chrom threw up an ancient gesture at Robin that consisted of a single finger.

Laughing, Robin extended his hand to help his friend up onto his feet. Chrom looked over at Validar.

"Is he dead?"

"Pretty sure he is," Robin answered, walking over and crouching next to Validar.

Validar's eyes suddenly snapped open. His remaining hand lashed out, and due to Robin being startled, his reaction was a second too late and took a blast of magic to the chest. An intense pain spread throughout his chest and into his head, and he blacked out.

He didn't know how long he was out. Maybe it was for a few seconds, maybe longer, but seeing how Chrom was just now pulling his sword out from Validar's heart, it couldn't have been that long. Chrom looked over at Robin, the expression of anger on his face turning into worry in a second.

"Are you alright?" Chrom asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. He just caught me off guard," Robin croaked. Which was a complete lie. He felt as if his entire body was on fire, his pulse going a mile a minute.

Chrom frowned. If he knew Robin was lying, he didn't mention it. Instead, he simply turned to look back at Validar. The corpse of his late father was literally vanishing, turning into wisps of purple energy and dust. It was as if he was watching a dead body decompose at a greatly accelerated rate, and Robin found it to be both fascinating and revolting.

"What a weird way to die," Robin muttered. "Chrom, mind helping me up?"

"Yeah, no problem."

Chrom walked over to him and extended his hand. Gratefully taking the hand, Robin pulled himself up with a pained groan.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Chrom asked again, and Robin waved him off.

"As I said, I'm fine," Robin sighed. Unknown to either of them, mana was swirling together in Robin's hand. "Just a bit of pain, but that's expected after fighting one the most powerful, if not _the_ most powerful, dark mage in the world."

Chrom laughed. His boisterous voice bounced off the walls, and Robin couldn't help crack a grin himself. And then his hand moved on its own.

Time froze. At least, it seemed to as Robin and Chrom stared at each other. Neither of them knew what happened, for it was so sudden and unexpected. A warm liquid rolled down his cheek. He wiped it away with his hand. It was blood. From where? Validar? No. He was dead, his body gone. There was no fighting. There shouldn't be. Then where? His hand felt warm. And wet. Why? He looked down and his eyes widened in horror and shock.

"Wh-What...?"

There was a dagger composed of lightning sticking out of Chrom's chest, right where his heart should be. There were two hands holding onto the dagger. Both were right hands. One belonged to Chrom. That much was obvious. Robin could see it clearly. But the second hand? Whose was that?

Robin felt a warm liquid run down the back of his hand and to his wrist.  
Blood was running down the back of the second hand and to the wrist.

Robin felt another hand gently grab onto his.  
He saw Chrom grab onto the second hand.

Robin felt his hand relax a little and let go of something.  
He saw the second hand let go of the lightning dagger.

"It's not your fault..." Chrom weakly said.

What?

"Validar did something...something similar before...didn't he?"

Why's Chrom bringing that up now?

"Hey... Can you...can you promise...?"

Robin's head moved on its own. It must've been a nod since Chrom smiled.

"Promise me...that you'll escape..."

Escape? Why? Why just him? Why not together?

"It's alright... I don't...I don't blame you...Robin..." Chrom stumbled backward. He was struggling to remain standing as long as he could. His eyes remained strong, and he gave Robin a confident, yet still somehow wistful and sad, smile. "Promise."

Chrom fell to the floor as the last of his strength left his body. Robin looked down at his hand. It was covered in blood. Blood that was still warm. Bits of electricity danced around in his palm and fingers.

Maybe that was it. Maybe it was seeing Chrom fall in front of his eyes and seeing the very lightning that was embedded in his friend's chest on his hand. Whatever it was, it was as if a veil was lifted from Robin's eyes. His breath fell short. Every thought in his brain stopped with the exception of a single, horrifying realization.

He just murdered his best friend.

* * *

 **And that's the first chapter. Thanks for reading.**

 **Some of you older readers may have realized, but I pretty much - scratch that. I completely rewrote this chapter with the exception of...four(?) sentences. Everything else is new so that it falls more in line with my current way of writing.**


	2. (II) All Ends are Beginnings II

Robin's mind was blank. The sudden realization that he just murdered his friend shook him to the core. Chrom took Robin under his wing when he was on the run from Plegia. Everyone argued against it since Robin was Plegian, but Chrom refused to listen. It was no exaggeration to say that Chrom saved his life. And now, this man, the very man that took him under, the one that treated him like a brother, the one that fought side-by-side with, the one that spilled blood, sweat, and tears with him, was now dead.

Because of him.

Robin had killed Chrom; there was no other way around that. Despite not having been in control of his body at the time, despite not knowing what was going on at the time, it was still his hand that conjured a small dagger of lightning. It was his hand that impaled his friend with that very dagger. It was his mana that was used to summon the magic.

Robin lost track of time as he knelt there holding Chrom's lifeless body. He was only brought back to his senses when he heard the doors to the great hall opening behind him. No doubt it was the rest of the Shepherds, coming in after their long-fought battle outside against the Grimleal, and to congratulate Robin and Chrom upon their victory. He heard their footsteps drawing closer, with laughter and jokes echoing off the walls.

Then, all at once, their voices stopped as they approached the front of the great hall, where Robin was kneeling. He slowly stood, a grim silence hanging in the air.

"Robin?"

A worried voice called out. The voice sounded familiar, but Robin couldn't place who the voice belonged to, nor did he care to try.

"Robin?" the voice called out again. "Robin, what's wro- CHROM!"

Noticing their Exalt lying on the floor, the Shepherds ran forward, and a collected gasp of horror rang throughout the hall.

"CHROM!" One of the Shepherds in light pink colored armor rushed forward, her spear clattering to the floor.

"Chrom, wake up!" Sumia cried, tears flooding from her eyes. "Open your eyes, please!"

"Maribelle, Libra! Help me heal him!" A girl in a yellow dress ran forward, her hands clutching a healing staff. She held the staff over Chrom's body, channeling her mana into her staff. A soft green light surrounded Chrom, yet the exalt didn't move. The wound refused to close. "Maribelle, Libra, help me!" Lissa pleaded.

Maribelle shook her head. "Lissa, darling, it's too late - "

"NO! WE CAN STILL SAVE HIM! WE HAVE TO!" Lissa shrieked, furiously shaking her head.

Maribelle opened her mouth to speak but stopped when Libra put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at Libra, who was slowly shaking his head with his eyes closed.

 _'Don't'_ , he wordlessly implied.

The rest of the Shepherds were deathly silent, too shocked to say anything. After all, how could they believe that their leader whom they all loved dearly was now dead?

Just outside the group, however, Robin slowly backed away from the rest. He felt his foot step on something and looked down to see the now owner-less sword of legend, Falchion, on the floor. He stooped down to pick up the sword and recalled one of the first things that Chrom told him about it.

 ** _. . ._**

* * *

 ** _. . ._**

 _"Hm? Oh, you mean this?" Chrom asked, pulling out the sword that Robin was gesturing to._

 _The two of them were sitting around a campfire on their way back to Ylisstol. Frederick was out on a quick patrol while Lissa was fast asleep on her bedroll a few feet away._

 _"It's called Falchion and has been passed down generation to generation in my family. It's said that the blade was forged from a fang of the Divine Dragon, Naga. Only those of the Exalted bloodline have the potential to wield it, and even then, there's only a few that have the ability to actually use it," Chrom explained._

 _"What do you mean?" Robin asked._

 _"Uhh, let me put it this way. The sword is…"picky" about its owners. There are some hidden requirements needed in order to wield it, and being a member of the Exalted bloodline is just one of them."_

 _"That's…strange."_

 _"Indeed it is," Chrom laughed. "I'll admit it's a little weird that a sword can choose its owners, but I guess that's just Naga picking those she deems worthy. For example, I can wield Falchion perfectly fine, but if anyone else tried to use it, the blade wouldn't be able to cut anything, as if it's dull. Though Lissa used Falchion to cut an apple this one time, and it cut pretty well. She then tried on a log, but nothing happened."_

 _"I guess Naga thinks Lissa is just good enough to use Falchion as a legendary fruit knife," Robin joked._

 _The two looked at one another for a brief moment, before doubling over in laughter, causing a sleeping Lissa to mutter something about frogs and Robin's coat as she turned to her side._

 _"Another plus-side about Falchion is the fact that it never dulls or rusts," Chrom continued. "Thank Naga for that, literally, since I'm pretty lazy and would constantly forget to clean and sharpen the blade."_

 _Robin chuckled, "True. Seeing how reckless and how much brute force you put into your swings, I don't think you'd last a single day with any other sword, let alone a single skirmish."_

 _"Hey, I'm not that bad," Chrom smiled, lightly punching Robin on the shoulder. "At least I know how to use a sword, unlike you who decided to throw it."_

 _"It was an accident! And it wasn't my fault. Someone put a rock in my way, so I tripped and my sword accidentally slipped out of my hand."_

 _"And somehow managed to go a good fifteen meters, hitting a bear on the head," Chrom said, unable to contain his laughter._

 _"I got us an easy meal. Risk-free and injury free. I even saved your life. That bear was about to bite your head off," Robin gloated._

 _"Alright, it was an easy meal, I'll grant you that. Taking a bear down is usually a tedious task. But that was just pure luck."_

 _"If it means that I won't have to worry about getting my face mauled by a bear, then I'll gladly take my luck."_

 _The both of them sighed, laughter slowly coming to a stop._

 _"Though, I guess I'm not so lucky when it comes to the Falchion's true purpose," Chrom said, the mood taking a more serious tone._

 _"True purpose?" Robin questioned._

 _Chrom nodded. "My predecessor, the first Exalt, used Falchion to slay Grima a thousand years ago."_

 _"Grima?"_

 _It wasn't as if Robin didn't know who Grima was. Every Plegian knew of him, but for conversation's sake, Robin feigned ignorance._

 _"Yeah, also known as the Fell Dragon Grima. A being so evil that it nearly swallowed the world in darkness. He was slain by the first Exalt, aided by Naga."_

 _"But if the Exalt slew Grima, then what would be the true purpose of Falchion now?"_

 _"Well, I guess saying that the first Exalt slew Grima would be a poor choice of words since Grima can't be killed."_

 _"As in...he's immortal?"_

 _"More or less. Grima can only be put to slumber. That's what the Exalt did, and that is the calling of Falchion and the Exalt of the time should Grima ever wake from his slumber."_

 _"And how are the exalts chosen? Simply by order of birth?"_

 _"Correct. Good to see that brain of yours is good for something else other than tactics," Chrom teased._

 _"Careful, Chrom." Robin replied, an evil grin forming on his face. "Wouldn't want to jinx my brain now, now would we? Who knows what could happen? Maybe my sword will hit a bear on the head pommel first next time."_

 _"You cannot say that you killing that bear with that ridiculous toss was on purpose. You even said it yourself that it was an accident."_

 _Robin shrugged, laughing maniacally. "All calculated and according to plan."_

 _"Riiight," Chrom deadpanned. "Like that nasty scrape on your knees that you wouldn't stop whining about until Lissa healed it, right?"_

 _"That was just me and my amazing acting skills to make it all the more believable," Robin smirked, spreading his arms to exaggerate his point._

 _Chrom let out a deep sigh, shaking his head. "You are a special kind of person, Robin."_

 _Robin hesitated momentarily, deciding whether or not to say the next line. He gave in._

 _"Are…are you coming on to me?" Robin mockingly asked, putting his hand to over his heart._

 _"Just…just go to sleep." Chrom muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose._

 _"I'm not too sure I want to, now that I know how you see me," Robin continued. "Who knows what atrocities you'd commit while I'm asleep and defenseless?"_

 _Chrom groaned, covering his face with both of his hands. "I regret everything."_

 _"I bet you especially regret having a certain tactician join your group without knowing how much 'joy' he'd bring into your life, right?"_

 _"Yes, especially that," Chrom said, glaring at Robin through the gaps between his fingers._

 _"I'm warning you," Robin laughed, sliding into his bedroll. "If you try or do anything, I_ will _tell Sumia, and who knows how she'll view you."_

 _The prince's eyes widened at that line. "You wouldn't dare..." he stammered._

 _"Oh please, we both know that I wouldn't even think twice about doing so. In fact, I -"_

 _"ROBIN!"_

 _Even in the dying light from the fire, Robin could see his friend furiously blushing. He stifled a laugh, eagerly waiting for the next moment that Chrom and Sumia would interact, just so that he could poke fun at the two again._

 ** _. . ._**

* * *

 ** _. . ._**

 _'_ _All that seemed so long ago,_ Robin thought, coming back to reality

Looking down at Falchion, he suddenly knew what to do. He turned around and quietly walked down the great hall with a single image of a little girl with cerulean blue hair in his mind. He walked out the doors of the great hall unnoticed and leapt onto one of the Shepherds horses that were waiting just outside. Slowly but surely, he was putting distance between him and Plegia, from the Shepherds, from those he considered his family, and from his best friend.

 ** _. . ._**

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Back in the great hall, Sumia's tears had stopped. Not because she calmed down, but due to the fact that she had no more tears to spill. She was now tightly hugging Chrom, with Lissa collapsed on her knees next to her, eyes glazed over. From the circle of Shepherds, a certain red haired Pegasus knight looked up, her mouth moving even before she looked for the person she wished to speak to.

"Robin, what happened here?" Cordelia asked, her voice stricken with grief. She was met only with silence.

At this, the rest of the Shepherds started looking around Robin, confused, for he would normally answer right away.

"Robin?"  
"Robin, where are you?"  
"We must know how milord was inflicted with such a wound!"

The Shepherds all cried out for their beloved tactician, but was answered with silence for Robin was already long gone.


	3. (III) All Ends are Beginnings III

Nighttime had fallen. The moon shone brightly above with the stars scattered around it, spreading as far as the sky stretched. It was truly a beautiful sight, but to Robin, it all seemed insignificant. In fact, Robin felt as if the moon was in mourning with the tactician, casting a solemn glow over Ylisstol.

Nearly a week had passed since Robin left the Dragon's Table with Falchion in tow. The city guards recognized Robin immediately, letting him in without a word. That didn't stop them from looking at Robin in confusion, however. Everyone knew that the entirety of the Shepherds left for Plegia, so a single Shepherd returning alone would definitely raise some questions. Thankfully, none of them uttered a single word to the tactician. Even if they had, Robin wouldn't be able to find the words or strength to answer them. Silently, like the city itself, Robin trudged forward to the castle.

Upon approaching the castle, Robin found the gates closed, and a multitude of guards was posted right outside. Wanting to avoid any questions, Robin circled around the castle's outer wall, looking for a certain maple grove. There, Robin found what he was looking for: a small hole in the wall, smashed in by Chrom during one of his training sessions with the Shepherds.

Robin weakly smiled as he remembered the story and how embarrassed Chrom looked. He always wondered how Chrom managed to hit the wall roughly about five meters above the ground, but never got around to ask. His smile faded as he forced himself back into reality. He knew that he would be branded as a traitor, and would be court-martialed for his betrayal to the kingdom and for regicide.

Not wanting to be found, he quickly made his way through the hole and leaned against a nearby tree. He stilled his breath and listened for the footsteps of nearby guards. After confirming that there were no guards patrolling his imminent area, he ducked out of his cover and made his way to one of the castle's side doors. He silently cursed as he inched the door open. It was notorious for making a creaking noise whenever it would open, and he wanted to avoid making any sounds. It took forever, but Robin finally made just enough of a gap to slide through and slowly closed it shut behind him.

 _I never thought that I'd be the one sneaking through Ylisstol castle at night,_ Robin quietly laughed to himself.

He knew he wouldn't be in any sort of trouble were he to be caught. After all, he was one of the well-known members of the Shepherds and Chrom's right hand, but Robin moved through the shadows anyways. He wanted to avoid any sort of confrontation at all costs, save a single child.

Lost in his thoughts alone, Robin suddenly found himself in front of the throne room. He blinked, not realizing that his body wandered through the dark halls of the castle on autopilot as if his mind knew to come here. Trusting his instincts that led him here, he took a deep breath, pushed the doors to the throne room open, and entered.

There, just in front of the gilded throne, knelt a little girl with cerulean hair. She wore a matching blue nightgown and a white blanket hung loosely around her waist. Robin let out his breath, the strain of his ride from Plegia finally catching up to him. His hands were trembling, and his body felt as if someone was shooting fire directly into his bones. His joints creaked with the slightest of movements and every step felt as if he was tied down by heavy chains. His throat was parched and his stomach was beating itself out of hunger.

Robin expected this though. For nearly a week, he traveled almost without rest, only stopping to either swap horses at passing villages and to take very short breaks. He kept himself going through sheer willpower, eating fruits and berries he scavenged along the way, and occasionally stopping at a nearby stream to drink. The lack of sleep and food would have stopped a normal person, and Robin was surprised that even he himself hadn't collapsed by now.

But seeing this little girl in the moonlight made it all worth it. He reached into his cloak, reassuring himself that Falchion was still there. That was the reason why he had trekked this unforgiving journey in the first place. He would not get a second chance.

Knowing his time here was very limited, Robin took a step forward. Getting a closer look, he saw that the girl's shoulders were steadily rising and falling, a sign that she was still awake. Even though he wasn't able to see the front of her, he knew from her posture alone that she had her hands clasped together in prayer. What she was praying for, Robin didn't know, but he assumed that it was for the safety of her parents. His heart pained just by staring at the girl and for the news he was to soon tell her. He silently walked forward.

Whether by coincidence or by instinct, the girl quickly turned around. Her eyes widened slightly from fear and shock upon noticing Robin. She clutched the cloak tightly around her.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, regaining her composure. Though a young age, the girl's voice rang clearly through the room. It was confident, no doubt about that, but her voice wavered from fear.

Robin noticed that he had his hood up and reached to bring it down, all the while continuing to walk towards the girl. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves, he called out to the little girl.

"Lucina…"

Gods, his voice sounded even worse than he thought. It was coarse and dry, unlike his usual upbeat and silvery tone.

The little girl's eyes widened in shock, realizing who it was that had just now pulled down his hood, despite his ghastly figure and tone. Lucina jumped to her feet and ran over to the tactician, who lowered his arms to greet the incoming tackle of a hug.

"Robin!" the princess exclaimed, tackling the weak tactician to the ground with a hug, just as he predicted.

Predicting it didn't lessen the pain in the slightest. His body screamed in agony as he caught Lucina in his arms, but he couldn't help but smile at the girl. Lucina had always liked Robin. Chrom and Sumia were often quite busy being the Exalt and Queen, so Robin would find himself keeping the girl company most of the time. Her eyes would always light up whenever he would tell her stories about his adventures with the Shepherds.

"Hey there, little princess," he said softly, stroking her blue hair. "What are you doing up so late by yourself?"

Lucina looked up at him, the Mark of Naga shining in her left eye. Her eyes had a sharpness to them and seemed to stare into Robin's soul. "I was praying to Naga. I was praying that you and mom and dad would all come home safe." She rolled off of Robin, standing up. "Where's mom and dad? Is the war over? Why are you alone? Are they safe? Where are the others?"

The little girl quickly shot out her questions at Robin faster than Virion could shoot arrows before he even got off the ground. Each question felt as if his heart was being torn apart as he tried to find an answer.

 _That's a lie and you know it,_ Robin scolded himself. _You know the answer to those questions, but you pretend to search for an answer that you already found just to save yourself the trouble. You ran from Chrom and the Shepherds already, and now you're just running away from yourself. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for the girl in front of you._

"The others are on their way back," he finally said. "I came back first just to see you before anyone else."

Lucina smiled brightly at Robin, causing him to also give a small smile back. But his smile quickly faded as he knew he was merely prolonging the inevitable and the sole reason as to why he came back ahead of the others.

Sensing the tactician's worry, Lucina frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Heh, you were always good at knowing when I wasn't feeling okay," Robin chuckled.

"Of course!" Lucina replied, smiling once again. "You're my second favorite person!"

"Second favorite? I thought you liked me more than Chrom!" Robin joked. Even in such a situation, he was still able to make jokes such as this.

"I do like you more than dad! He's my third favorite!"

"Really? Then, who's number one?"

"My mom!" she beamed.

A painful laugh escaped Robin's throat. "Don't let Chrom hear you say that. You'll break the poor man's heart." Unbeknownst to Lucina, his own heart going through that exact pain he joked of.

"Heehee, don't worry! I won't!" Lucina giggled.

Robin smiled and lowered himself onto one knee, looking Lucina at eye level. "You've grown so big in such a short time, Lucina."

"I'm going to get bigger!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining. "Someday I'll be big enough to fight with you and dad!"

"One day," he said softly, reaching out to stroke her hair once more. He felt tears starting to come up, and he desperately fought them back down.

Lucina seemed to see right through Robin again, as her brow furrowed in concern. "Is dad okay?"

Robin grimaced, knowing that he would have to tell her. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a roll of cloth. Slowly, he unraveled it layer by layer until in his hands laid Falchion. A small gasp escaped from the princess as she took a small step back. For the first time in many months, her eyes watered.

"That….that's Falchion," she said. Her voice had a small, almost unnoticeable pain behind it.

Robin nodded. "Yes, this is Falchion. The same sword that your father used to wield."

Lucina looked up from Falchion. "You said, _'used to'_. That means he's not okay, right?"

He mentally cursed himself for his poor choice of words. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm sorry, Lucina, but from now on, _you_ are the Exalt. You are now the leader of Ylisse. Your father can no longer lead the kingdom."

Lucina said nothing, her eyes starting to shimmer. Robin took a moment to collect himself, feeling himself breakdown inside with every word that came out of his mouth.

"This sword belongs to you now, the next of the Exalted line. You will shoulder a burden that no one should ever have to bear, and I regret that I cannot help you share it."

Robin slowly took Lucina's hands and wrapped her small hands around Falchion's hilt. She brought the sword to her chest, clutching it tightly, not once looking away from Robin's eyes. The girl was no older than the tender age of six, and she was having the news of her father's death be thrown at her and the weight of a kingdom placed on her small shoulders.

"B-But….why..?" Her usual bright and confident tone had faded, replaced with confusion and worry.

"I will not be able to stay here much longer - "

He choked on the last few words, finding them too difficult to say. Each word that left his mouth wrenched at his heart and he hated himself for saying them. But they had to be said. Outside, birds could be heard chirping, a sign that the night was nearly over, and that dawn was about to break.

"I'm sorry, Lucina, but I cannot stay any longer. This is most likely the last time you'll ever see me," he said, slowly rising to his feet.

For Lucina, this was the breaking point. She had done her best to keep her tears in, and Robin was proud of her for that, but tears started to pour out of her eyes. It took every ounce of willpower from Robin to not breakdown himself.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again. "You'll understand soon, but now is not the time."

He turned around to leave but stopped when a small voice called out from behind him.

"Don't go… I d-don't want you to...to go!"

Robin looked back and felt his heart shatter. She was still clutching Falchion, but did so with only a single arm. The other was busy in a feeble attempt to wipe away her tears.

"I'm so, so sorry, Lucina," he whispered. "But I have to."

Lucina sobbed, furiously shaking her head. "No! I don't want you to! I want you to stay!"

Robin walked back to Lucina, knelt down on one knee, and wrapped his arms around her. He heard Falchion fall to the floor and felt her small arms wrap their way halfway around Robin's torso. The princess tightly hugged the tactician. He was one of the few people that she was closest to. He was the one that would read stories to her to coax her to sleep. He was the one that taught her how to read and write. He was the one that put up with all her childish antics when no one else would.

He was her best friend.

The two held their embrace while a silver ray of moonlight shone down on them, almost as if the scene was taken straight from a painting. After what seemed like an eternity, Robin pulled himself away and looked into Lucina's eyes again, tears slowly dripping from his own.

"I won't be here with you in person," he quietly said. Robin both felt and heard his own voice shaking. "But know that I'll always be watching over you in spirit. And know that I am extremely proud of you, Lucina. More than you could ever know."

He reached up to wipe away her tears, wishing that he could never leave.

 _Pull yourself together, Robin. If you stay, you'll only cause her more harm and grief._

"I have to leave now, Lucina," he started once more.

Lucina tried to reply but couldn't due to her sobs.

"Do you think you can give me a smile before I go?" Robin whispered, forcing himself to give her a small smile.

After a short moment, Lucina nodded, and gave a weak smile.

This time, Robin genuinely smiled. "That's my princess." He pulled her in for another hug before standing back up.

"Thank you," he whispered again, turning around to leave.

Robin didn't know what he was thanking her for. Maybe it was for listening to him, or making the last couple of years after the war with Valm a joyous time every day, or something else. Robin didn't know, but he felt as if he had to say it anyway.

Light slowly seeped in through the windows as sign dawn had finally broken, signaling that Robin's time was up. Each step he took felt as if a knife was stabbing his heart as he forced his feet to move away from the weeping princess, who was now on her knees.

 _I'm sorry, Lucina. You deserve much better than a life that I'm giving you. You deserve better than to have your father's betrayer and murderer stand by your side as you grow up. I truly wish that I could stay with you, to watch you grow, to watch you with pride as you build your own ideals and lead your people. But I can't. I can't stay to watch you grow, and I am not worthy of your ideals. But know that I am proud of you, Lucina. I hope you'll always know how much I care for you, and I know that I can never make this up to you, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry._

Tears poured out of Robin's eyes as he made retraced his steps back out through the side door he used to enter. He shielded his eyes as the sunlight hit him, almost as if the light was attacking the darkness, the dark being him. He walked over to the castle wall and climbed through the small hole. The moment he was out through the other side, the last of his strength left him, and he collapsed on the spot.

He propped himself against the wall as he looked over Ylisstol. A sad smile formed on his face as he came to the realization that this would be his last time looking over such a peaceful scene. He wondered where the Shepherds were. It normally took a week and a half to make the journey from Ylisstol to Plegia, so Robin guessed that they were just now past the border.

With a deep sigh, he closed his eyes. He heard the town below him slowly come to life as merchants opened their shops and people started bustling about. He leaned his head back against the wall and small smile formed on his face.

 _Don't worry, Chrom. Your daughter is safe. She'll grow up strong, just as you did. Actually, scratch that thought. You were a bit of a pansy at times, so I'm sure she'll be stronger than you ever were. She'll struggle as she faces hurdles much sooner than she normally should, hurdles that she should never should even come across, and I'm completely to blame for that. But she'll get through those hurdles and come out stronger than ever. After all, she is your daughter, and not to brag, but I did play a small part in raising her as you were too busy being the exalt and all._

 _You can beat me up as much as you want in the afterlife since I'm at Death's door right about now. One for you know…stabbing a bit of lightning into your chest, and two, forcing a terrible burden on your daughter. But I hope that you'll at least grant me the honor of watching over her together._

Robin smiled one last time, a single tear running down his cheek.

"I'll see you soon, my old friend."

Then he felt himself sink into the void.

 ** _. . ._**

* * *

 ** _. . ._**

"Hey, Chrom. Do you think he's okay?"

"I don't think so. You?"

Robin let out a small groan, not fully understanding what he was hearing. This all seemed eerily familiar.

"I dunno..."

He opened his eyes, blinked a few times, and tried to get his eyes to focus. Everything seemed incredibly blurry, but he could just make out two figures standing in front of him. One was a tall man with dark blue hair, and the other a girl with golden-yellow hair and in a matching dress. The two noticed Robin stirring and looked down with relieved smiles on their faces.

"I see you're awake now," the man noted.

"Are you okay?" the younger girl asked.

Robin's eyes finally focused and saw that the man was no older than his early twenties. Or...maybe just under twenty? It was difficult to discern his exact age.

He had a navy blue shirt without any sleeves with his well-toned arm hanging by his side. A silver pauldron was over his left shoulder with a short white cape hanging from it. The girl looked to be a few years younger and had a bright smile on her face. Her eyes were wide in excitement and she had her hair tied in twin pigtails on her side.

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know. In fact, it's a sure way to catch a cold." The man extended his arm, smiling warmly. "Give me your hand."

* * *

 **Big inspiration for this chapter came from an art of Robin kneeling in front of a young Lucina, who was holding a rapier in her arms. Ending dialogue is a mixture of both the ENG and JP dubs.**


	4. (IV) It Followed Me Home

"FIRE!"

A multitude of fireballs and arrows rained down upon the approaching Risen, turning a dozen to turn into purple mist. But that hardly put a dent in the onslaught of undead that was advancing upon the group of survivors. They were backed up onto a crumbling bridge with a great archway behind them. The archway was lit up, with a dimensional gate open just below it, shining a bright blue light.

One member of the group fell to his knees from exhaustion, sweat dripping down his face.

"Oi, Laurent! Don't push yerself too hard!" Another member stood over the downed mage. He had unruly blonde hair with a small scar above his eyes. "I might be able to heal wounds, but I ain't gonna be able to recover yer mana!"

"I'm fine," Laurent coughed. "I can still go on!"

Laurent tried to get to his feet, but his legs gave out. He would've hit the floor had he not been caught by a girl with blue twintails.

"What'd I just tell ya!" Brady scolded.

The girl supporting Laurent looked to her left. "Inigo, grab Laurent and get through the portal!"

Upon hearing his name, Inigo smoothly ran over.

"Will do, my lovely Severa. After this is all done with and we meet on the other side, how about we grab a cup of tea?" Inigo proposed.

"Stop wasting your breath, you dimwit!" Severa scoffed. "Now hurry up!"

Inigo gave a quick smile at Severa and helped Laurent to his feet. "It's a date!"

"I…I'm fine…" Laurent weakly said. "I can walk on my own."

"I'm a man of my word when it comes to keeping promises with ladies, so no can do, my friend," Inigo quipped.

"Indeed, for your legend has yet to end here!" A voice made itself heard from the forefront of the battle. "Even a hero knows when he must retreat. But fret not, for these foul beasts will advance no further with my deadly blade in hand!"

"Gods, you're all a bunch of idiots." Severa rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, you two!" A cheerful voice yelled from above. A dark-haired Pegasus knight swooped in, gracefully landing in front of the portal as she struck a heroic pose. "Yarne and I will go with you guys to provide some backup!"

From behind the girl, a timid looking boy with long rabbit ears poked his head out. "Can we please go now, Cynthia? Like _now,_ now?"

"I don't care, just go! The portal won't stay open much longer!" Severa sharply said.

"Alrighty! C'mon, Yarne, let's go make a dashing entrance and surprise everyone on the other side!" Cynthia said gleefully.

The two of them vanished into the portal with Inigo and Laurent right on their tails. Confirming that they went through safely, Severa looked back over to the others were fighting.

A female knight in heavy armor doing her best to force the Risen back next to the right side of the bridge, bashing with her giant shield and stabbing with her spear. On the opposite side of the bridge stood a swordsman in a yellow coat, calling out his attack names as his blade moved in a blur. At the center of the two stood a girl, her blue hair waving as she cut down Risen left and right, and in her hands was a legendary sword, leaving a golden trail in its wake.

Just behind the three fighters, Brady was healing their wounds as fast as they would receive them with a dark-haired archer next to him firing off arrows one after another, taking down an undead with each shot. But it was not enough. The Risen were too many in number. They seemed to know this as they practically threw themselves onto the warriors.

Severa ran forward to help fight when a cry of pain came from the knight.

"Kjelle!" Severa grabbed onto scuff of her armor and dragged her back, glancing at the sky and calling out a couple more names, "GEROME, NAH, GET DOWN HERE! Brady, tend to her wounds!"

"On it!"

From the skies descended two dragonkin, one a floral red dragon and the other a wyvern with a rider in black armor. With a bright light, the red dragon vanished, now replaced by a small girl who was heavily breathing.

"Nah, grab Kjelle and go through the portal," Severa ordered, looking at the girl. "Gerome, Brady, go with her!"

Nah nodded and quickly picked up the armored knight with surprising strength for her stature. Without even checking to see if her friends got to the portal, Severa ran to fill up the hole in their already thin defense.

She swung her sword in a fit of rage. She hated this. She hated the monsters she was cutting down. She hated how they were losing. She hated that these stupid undead hurt her friends. Why was she so weak that she couldn't protect them? Why is it that they were backed up into a corner with the only escape being to a different time? Why were they forced to run away? She cursed her own weakness, pressing up into the Risen.

"Severa, pull back! You're too far!" a voice warned.

But Severa did not heed the warning, pushing further into the enemy lines, swinging her sword and narrowly dodging attacks meant for her. She raised her sword to swing down on another Risen when everything around her seemed to slow down. From her peripherals, she saw a spear heading straight at her side, but she was in no position to dodge. Her sword was already in mid-swing with one foot stepping forward. She clenched her teeth, bracing herself for the spear that was a mere second away from piercing her gut.

Suddenly, she was yanked back by her collar. The spear sailed harmlessly past her and into another Risen, causing it to disintegrate into a purple mist. She looked back at the person who pulled her back and was met with glaring blue eyes. The Mark of Naga was emblazoned in her left pupil, easily visible despite the harsh lighting.

"We're retreating into the portal."

"L-Lucina, I…"

"I'll listen to your excuse later, but we have to go NOW!" Lucina cut her off, fighting off more Risen.

Severa bit her lip and slowly retreated alongside Lucina as the Risen rushed forward in an unstoppable wave of rotting flesh.

"SEVERA, LUCINA, HURRY UP!" A voice urgently shouted from behind them. "THE PORTAL'S ABOUT TO FALL!"

Severa glanced back and saw that the portal was indeed collapsing. Its once bright light was now a dim hue, the edges already fading.

"Lucina, the portal - "

"I know," Lucina responded, gritting her teeth. "Go, I'll cover you!"

"What!? No! There's no way you can hold these things back on your own!" Severa argued, bringing her sword down on another Risen's skull.

"We don't have time to argue, now GO!" Lucina demanded, her eyes not once looking away from the onslaught of undead.

Her fingers clenched her sword so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"Alright, fine!" She stabbed her sword through the chest of one last Risen before running back to the portal.

"Owain, go through the portal with Noire, now!" Severa shouted as she approached.

"What about Lucina?!" Owain asked, his brow furrowing in concern. He had stopped with his usual theatrics, which only happened when in a dire situation.

"She said that she'll be just behind us," Severa explained. "Now go!"

Owain looked at Lucina, obviously not wanting to leave his cousin behind.

"GO!" Severa shouted again, pushing both Noire and Owain into the portal. She looked back at Lucina, fighting bravely against the army of Risen.

"You better make it through!" Severa cried out, her voice wavering. Despite her harsh attitude, she cared deeply for Lucina and the rest of her friends.

Lucina glanced back and nodded, before jumping back to avoid an axe that was a hair's breadth away from taking her head off her shoulders.

"If you break your promise, I'll never forgive you!" Severa shouted one last time. She then turned around and jumped into the portal.

Lucina risked another look back making sure that everyone else had gone ahead of her. Confirming that she was the last one left, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

She looked back towards the enemy a moment too late. She felt a large mass hit her in the chest, knocking the wind out of her and sending her back a few meters. Coughing, she looked up to see that the large mass was the fist of a large Risen that towered above her, raising its arm again for another attack. Lucina leaped backward to avoid the giant fist slamming into the ground, sending chunks of rock and debris flying everywhere. Panting, Lucina raised her sword to fight back, but stopped when the ground shook.

The entire air itself rumbled as the portal behind her started flashing wildly; a sign that the portal was only seconds away from closing. She had done her part. She defended the portal until the last second to make sure that no Risen would be able to follow her.

Lucina spun on her heel and sprinted towards the portal as the Risen rushed forward, closing the gap with each step. Nearing the gate, she saw that the archway was cracking apart and the portal quickly growing smaller. With one final effort, she leapt forward. She vanished into the portal just as the archway collapsed. The portal flashed brilliantly once more, then blinked shut.

She made it.

* * *

Inside the portal, Lucina felt as if she was afloat. She looked around to see a large void, similar to the night sky, with an innumerable amount of vivid streams of light zooming past her. She sensed the vastness of the void and could somehow tell that it stretched infinitely. Lucina never felt so helpless, so tiny. Clutching Falchion tightly, she closed her eyes and thought of her father and her purpose for traveling to the past. She thought of her friends that went through the portal before her, hoping that they were safe. She'd have to find them once she arrived at her destination, to make sure that they would fix the past.

Lucina slowly opened her eyes, her eyes blazing with renewed purpose. A bright light appeared in front of her, and she slowly drifted towards it.

Reaching down to her side, she pulled out a small mask in the shape of a butterfly. She stared at it for a moment, silently thanking the wyvern rider from earlier for lending her the mask. She'd have to keep her identity a secret at all costs, or she'd risk rewriting the entire future.

Donning the mask, she pulled her hair back into two separate locks, then tucked them in at the base of her skull. After a few more touches, her hair was fixed in place and bore a striking resemblance to the hair-style of the Hero King of Legend, Marth.

Lucina took in a deep breath and prayed to the Hero King to grant her with even a portion of his strength as she neared the portal. The view behind the portal was distorted as if she was looking through the surface of water. A burning forest came into view and she clenched her teeth.

 _Am I too late?_

Just up ahead, she saw a couple shadows in front of her. A smile formed on her face, thinking that it was some of her friends, but quickly realized that their skin was a dark purple with wisps of smoke coming off from them.

 _Risen?! How in Naga's name did they get in here?!_

Lucina willed herself to move faster and felt her feet land on an invisible yet solid surface. She sprinted towards the Risen, who just passed through the portal. Forcing her legs to move faster, she stretched her arm out, her hand touching the watery gate.

The moment her skin came into contact with the portal, she felt herself being pulled in, and then she was out of the dimensional void.

Then she felt a sense of vertigo as she fell through the open sky.

 ** _. . ._**

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Back at the collapsed portal, a hooded figure stood with an amused expression on his face.

"Interesting," the figure quietly said. "I didn't think the princess would risk herself to jump in at the last second. Had she been any slower, the gate would've collapsed on her, tearing her to pieces."

The figure took a step forward, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards ever so slightly. For some odd reason, he felt a sense of pride but quickly discarded the feeling.

"A brave attempt, but futile, nonetheless." He raised his hand in front of the destroyed archway, and a dark purple light started to gather in front of him. "Naga isn't the only one that can make a portal to travel through time."

After a minute of channeling his most of mana, he tore a hole in the space in front of him.

 _There we go,_ he thought to himself.

The hooded figure took forward to the portal he just created but then stumbled, suddenly feeling light headed.

 _Damn it,_ he cursed. _Creating a portal is more demanding than I thought._

He straightened himself and shook his head.

 _I'll lose most of my power since I haven't been awoken yet in the past, but no matter. After all, I just have to meet my former self to regain some of my lost power. I wonder what he's like in this world? In any case, I'll have to summon the Deadlords once more. Shouldn't be too difficult._

A small smile formed on his face.

"I'll be seeing you soon, little princess."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 **The game never did explain how Lucina and the other Future Children went to the past. All we're told is that Naga was involved, but that's about it. This is my take on it.**


	5. (V) Once More Unto the Breach

**Before anything, I want to take a moment to thank everyone (everyone as in you readers). I started this story as nothing more than a little side-project, mainly to get rid of a nagging voice in the back of my head to dump this story info somewhere.  
I honestly did not expect for this story to reach 1k+ views or nearly two dozen follows. I was thinking a few hundred views at best.**

 **Seriously, thank you all.**

 **Enough with the sentimental stuff now. Enjoy the chapter!**

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Robin woke with a start, bolting upright, and immediately regretted taking such a quick action as a sharp pain coursed through his chest. He looked down to see his torso was bandaged, slightly damp, and stained with his blood. He was in a bed inside an unfamiliar room, which he found to be a little strange. A second later, a sigh escaped his lips as his memories from earlier returned to him.

* * *

A cloaked figure stumbled through the woods. He knew neither who he was nor where he was. The last thing he remembered was that he was walking through a dark void, a place where nothing but blackness seemed to stretch on infinitely. He lost track of how long he'd been there when a small light appeared in front of him. As he approached the light, it grew larger and brighter until it nearly blinded him. Then he suddenly appeared in the very woods he was currently lost in.

The sun had recently come up over the mountains judging from its position in the sky, shining its light through the forest and giving it a mystical feel. Birds chirped overhead as they playfully flew around before landing on a branch of a nearby tree. The cloaked figure stepped over the roots of said tree, nearly tripping over a root that escaped his eye. Beads of sweat perforated his forehead, causing strands of the man's white hair to stick to his skin.

He tried to recall anything from his past before appearing in this forest but his memory failed him. Whenever he made an attempt to think into his past, he'd just see scenes flash through his brain: scenes of a battle, magic flying around and detonating, the face of a man he held in his arms, a group of men and women in tattered armor and clothing standing in a circle, a regal looking sword, and a face of a little girl with blue hair and a strange mark shining in her left eye. And none of it made any sense to him.

Sighing heavily, the man moved his already terribly aching body through the woods. He had been walking in what he assumed to be a straight line for a while now, so he expected himself to be out of the woods soon.

After another hour of walking, the man stumbled onto an open road.

 _This road has to lead a village at least,_ the man hoped.

He continued to walk, trying to recall anything about who he was. Feeling exhausted, he sat down by a nearby tree, resting his tired body upon its trunk.

Suddenly the air thickened around him, the sunlight darkened, and the temperature dropped considerably. He immediately stood to his feet despite his weariness. Perhaps he was more physically fit than he thought. There was a foreboding presence behind him, and he pivoted on his heel to see what was giving off the dreadful aura.

A man in an identical cloak was staring directly at him. Though he couldn't remember what he looked like, the man felt his stomach churn as he had a gut feeling that he shared the same face as the man in front of him, as if he was staring at a doppelganger. He had the same white hair that was unkempt as if he had just gotten out of bed. His facial structure and features were the same as well. The only difference was that the doppelganger's eyes were a dark red, the color of blood, while his were a warm brown. At least, that's what he thought they were.

The doppelganger quizzically tilted his head before uttering two words. "Curious. It's weak."

The man took a step back, sensing a dangerous vibe coming from the doppelganger in front of him.

"What?" he asked.

His doppelganger said nothing. Instead, he raised a single arm up to shoulder level. Dark energy started swirling around the raised arm, and a bright purple, almost pink…something flashed from the back of the man's hand.

The dark energy suddenly vanished as quickly as it appeared, before reappearing again, this time headed straight for the shocked and confused man. The dark matter surrounded the man, violently swirling around his person.

"Gu...GUAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The man screamed in pain and clutched his head before falling to the ground. Images started flooding into his brain; scenes of villages and forests razed to the ground, people running in terror as dark shapes chased after them, a once magnificent looking castle now crumbling to pieces, and finally, a giant gaping maw of a dragon. Two long horns were on its head, razor-sharp teeth taller than him lining its mouth, and six bright red eyes stared at him, three on each side of its face.

Then the man felt his world flip upside down as his vision started to go dark.

The last thing he heard was the doppelganger's words.

"Well, that didn't go as planned..."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"Hey, Chrom. Do you think he's okay?"

The man heard a voice.

"I don't think so. You?"

Another voice, this one a lot deeper sounding than the previous. The man let out a small groan, not fully understanding what he was hearing. Somehow, this all seemed eerily familiar.

"I dunno…"

He opened his eyes, blinked a few times, and tried to get his eyes to focus. Everything seemed incredibly blurry, but he could just make out two figures standing in front of him; one first a tall man with navy blue hair, and the other a girl with golden-yellow hair and in a matching dress. The two noticed the man stirring and looked down at him, small grins on their faces.

"I see you're awake now," the man said.

"Hey there!" the girl chimed in.

His eyes finally focused and saw that the man standing over him was no older than his early twenties. He had a collared navy blue shirt that seemed to be missing its right sleeve with his well-toned arm hanging by his side. A silver pauldron was over his left shoulder with a short white cape hanging from it. The girl looked to be a few years younger and had a bright smile on her face. Her eyes were wide in excitement, her hair tied up in two on the sides of her head.

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know. In fact, that's a sure way to catch a cold." The blue-haired man extended his arm, smiling warmly. "Give me your hand."

The man reached up and grabbed the outstretched arm. His common sense was screaming to be wary of these strangers, but he felt as if he knew these two well, though he just couldn't remember from where. He was pulled to his feet and took a quick glance around to see that they were just off the road. He looked back at the stranger.

"You all right?" the stranger asked.

"Y-Yeah," he replied. He looked at the stranger and the girl standing next to him, who was staring intently at him. "W-Who…?" he started, failing to say the words intended.

"Ah, right, I guess introductions are in order," the stranger said. He gestured over to the girl next to him. "This delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa."

"I am NOT delicate!" Lissa huffed, punching her brother on the arm. She then turned to give the man a bright smile. "Whatever my brother says, ignore it. He's a little thickheaded at times."

The brother continued, paying Lissa no mind. "The stern looking knight who seems to be glaring daggers at you from behind me is Frederick." He turned his body to show a tall man in a full set of plate armor who was indeed glaring at him with a chiseled face. "And lastly, my name is Chrom."

"Pleasure to meet you," the man said.

"I don't believe we've gotten yours," Chrom said. "Can you tell us your name?"

"Oh, of course. My name is...it's..." The man's words slowed to a stop. How could he have forgotten his own name?

"Hm? Sorry, I couldn't quite catch that." Chrom's brow furrowed slightly.

"It's… It's…" The man struggled. He searched into his mind, trying to uncover anything about himself. What he received, however, was not answer or a name, but an explosive pain that shot through his skull the moment he delved deeper into the empty void that was his memory.

"AAAAAAUUUUGGGHHHHHHH!"

A horrid sound of pain escaped his throat and he fell to his knees, grasping at his head.

"Hey, what's wrong?!" Chrom knelt down in front him before looking back at Lissa. "Lissa, your staff!"

"R-Right!" Lissa pulled out an elaborate looking staff with a blue sphere and golden wings at the end. A soft green glow surrounded the man's body, and he felt his pain ease a little.

"Chrom, this…this is really weird, " Lissa stammered.

"What is it?" Chrom asked.

Lissa shook her head. "I don't know exactly."

"What?"

"I don't know how to explain it. It's like there's a gaping wound on him, but at the same time, there isn't!"

"That's quite contradictory," Chrom muttered.

"Sorry, but that's the best I can put it." Lissa apologized. "He's definitely in pain, but there's not much I can do for him since there isn't a physical wound."

Chrom silently cursed. He wished he could help the person in front of him as was his nature, but he was not a healer like his sister. All he could do was watch as the man struggled to fight back his pain alone.

Slowly, the man's pain faded until all that was left was a throbbing headache. The man slowly stood, breathing heavily, cold sweat on his brow.

"Are you alright?" Chrom asked.

"I-I think so," the man said slowly. "Actually, no. No, I'm not."

Chrom looked at the man with a raised eyebrow. "How do you mean?"

"I can't remember," the man muttered.

"Remember? Remember what?"

"I can't remember anything, not even my name or where I came from."

"Huh?!" Chrom exclaimed, his confusion growing further.

At this, Lissa jumped with a gleam in her eyes. "Hey, I've heard of this during my training! My teacher said that it's called amnesia!"

"It's called a load of pegasus dung," a deep voice cut in. The man took a moment to realize that the stern-faced knight, Frederick, had said his first words since the man woke up.

"We're to believe that you happened to be lying asleep in the middle of the field and without a trace of memory?" Frederick accused.

"B-But it's the truth," the man desperately said.

Frederick narrowed his eyes as his hand drifted towards the spear on his back. The man was starting to dislike the knight, even if the suspicion was quite reasonable.

"…What if it is true, Frederick?" Chrom sighed. "Remember what Exalt Emmeryn said when the Shepherds were formed? We need to help those in need. If we left this man here, a man who has nothing to his forgotten name, what sort of Shepherds would we be?"

"We'd be just the same, milord. I must emphasize caution. Inviting this man to come with us would be like inviting a wolf into a flock of sheep," Frederick replied bluntly.

"Right then." Chrom seemed to ignore the words of his knight as he rose to his feet. "Southtown is only a little north of here, right? We'll take him there and sort this all out there."

The man tilted his head slightly, confused. "Wait wait wait, slow down a moment."

"What's wrong?" Chrom turned back to look at the man.

"Shepherds? You tend sheep? …In full armor?" He asked, much to Chrom's amusement.

"It's a dangerous job, I assure you," Chrom laughed, further confusing the man. "Just ask Frederick the Wary here."

"A title I shall wear with pride," Frederick said, straightening his already straight back even straighter and raising his chin an inch. "Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution." Frederick looked at the man before continuing. "I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates otherwise."

"I understand." Robin nodded at Frederick, though his opinion of the knight stayed the same. He paused, grabbing his forehead as his head throbbed again in pain.

"H-Hey!" Chrom reached forward.

"Robin," the man muttered.

"Hah?"

"Robin…yes…I'm sure of it. My name is Robin!" He almost shouted, overjoyed at remembering such a simple thing. But to him, it was worth everything.

Seeing Robin's ecstatic face, Chrom couldn't help but smile himself. "Robin? I haven't heard that one before. Is it foreign?"

"As if I would know. Amnesia, remember?" Robin grinned, his excitement of recalling his name overwriting the confusion of not knowing everything else.

"True true," Chrom shrugged, lightly shaking Robin's shoulder. "I'm glad to know you've remembered your name, Robin. Maybe everything else will return in time."

"I sure hope so," Lissa agreed. "You look like someone who traveled a lot, so you must have a lot of amazing stories to tell!"

A smile formed on Robin's face. Perhaps he was a traveler, judging from how worn down his clothes looked. They were dirty, yes, but they looked durable enough. His coat especially seemed special. There was a distinct feeling to it, one that was familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

The party was approaching a small hill which Lissa immediately sprinted towards. Her attitude was so bubbly that Robin couldn't help but crack a smile. Less than ten minutes spent with the siblings and knight, and he was already taking a liking to them. Well, at least the siblings. The knight? Not so much.

Chrom tapped Robin's shoulder. "We're almost to town. Once we're there, we'll simply - "

"Chrom! The town! Hurry!" Lissa urgently called from the top of the hill, cutting off whatever it was that her brother was about to say.

Chrom immediately ran to the top of the hill with Robin and Frederick on his heels. Robin's heart dropped upon seeing what Lissa was pointing at. Plumes of smoke billowed up into the sky. The screams of the townsfolk could be heard, and the multiple fires could be seen on a few of the buildings.

"Damn it!" Chrom cursed vehemently. "Those blasted brigands, no doubt… Frederick, Lissa! Quickly!"

"What about him?" Frederick inquired, looking over at Robin.

"Unless he's on fire as well, it can wait!" Chrom responded, his voice taut, before running down the hill and to the town.

Frederick nodded, apparently pleased with this answer. "Aptly put, milord," he said before following Chrom.

Lissa waved her hand in front of a still-frozen Robin, causing him to blink and look at Lissa. "Come on, Robin! Let's go already!"

Without waiting for an answer, she started running towards the town as well.

"Quite the fast-paced group..." Robin said to himself. "Well, seeing how I don't have anywhere else to go, and since they seem like nice people..."

Leaving his thought in the air, he ran after Lissa.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Up close, Chrom found that the village was in an even worse condition than he expected. Screams could be heard all around him with all the building in his vicinity already burned to the ground. He heard heavy footsteps approach behind him followed by lighter ones. Chrom didn't even have to look back to know it was Lissa and the ever dutiful Frederick.

"Chrom, wait a second!" Lissa gasped, clutching her chest, trying to slow her breathing. "Need to...catch...my breath!"

Chrom clenched his teeth. His eyes darted around the area and he unsheathed his sword. "I swear, these brigands won't be harming anyone else after today."

He was about to walk forward when he heard someone call out from behind him.

"Wait!"

Surprised, Chrom turned around to see Robin catching up to those three, not showing the slightest signs of weariness. The run from the hill to the town was just under a kilometer. Even so, Robin caught up with them almost immediately even though Chrom was sure he had a head start and Robin's breathing seemed to be normal. The only other person he knew with that kind of stamina was Frederick, who was also seemed to be ever so slightly impressed at Robin's endurance.

"Robin, you followed us?! Why?" Chrom asked.

Robin looked just as confused as Chrom. "I…I honestly don't know," he admitted. "But, I'm armed, and I get this weird feeling like I'm no stranger to a fight. I even have this." He pulled back his coat to reveal a sword attached to his side."

"I'd be glad to have you with us. There is safety in numbers, as they say." Giving Robin a smile of appreciation, Chrom looked back towards a stone bridge leading further into town. "Just stay close!"

Robin nodded, following Chrom towards the bridge. Lissa was right behind him, with Frederick bringing up the rear, mounted on a –

 _A horse?! Where in blazes did he get horse?! He was on foot not even a minute ago!_ Robin stared at Frederick.

Shaking his head, Robin looked forward again. He'd figure out where the horse came from later.

As the party walked further into town, the flames got worse as the screams got closer. Just by the bridge, Robin spotted a figure that was poorly dressed and an axe hanging from his hand walk into view. This was without a doubt one of the brigands. Blood was still dripping off the edges of his axe, which told Robin that the axe had recently killed someone. The brigand spotted the party, sneered, then ran across the bridge.

"Damn it!" Chrom yelled, before running after the man.

"Chrom, wait!" Robin grabbed his arm before Chrom could run any further. "Stay calm. Rushing ahead will only leave you stranded without any backup."

Chrom looked at Robin, then to the bridge, then back at Robin again before sighing. "Alright, fine."

Robin nodded. "Let's proceed cautiously. I wouldn't be surprised if there were brigands hiding to ambush us as we near the bridge."

The three Shepherds and straggler slowly walked forward. They tensed up, expecting to be ambushed by brigands at any moment. Crossing the bridge, they arrived at what appeared to be a town square. Markets and food stalls were destroyed with fruits rolling around the floor. Then, as if it was rehearsed, multiple brigands stepped out from behind random pieces of cover, all sneering at the outnumbered Shepherds. Robin counted eight brigands in total: one mage, two axe wielders, four with swords, and one with a large axe in the very back, who seemed like the leader. On the other hand, Robin's party consisted of one mounted knight with an expensive looking spear, a lightly armored swordsman, a healer, and an amnesiac who may or may not know how to fight.

"This isn't fair at all," Robin muttered.

"Indeed it isn't," Chrom agreed with Robin's statement. "We're at a pretty distinct disadvantage."

"No, that's not what I meant," Robin said, a smiling forming on his face. He was filled to the brim with confidence. He knew in the back of his mind that these brigands wouldn't pose a significant threat. "If this is all they have, then this'll be easy."

"Glad to see you're confident," Chrom chuckled. "I assume you have a plan then?"

"Not _a_ plan, but multiple plans." Robin corrected him. He looked behind him to see Lissa trembling slightly. This was without a doubt her first fight, but she was putting on a brave face to try and not worry the others. Frederick silently looking at the brigands, wearing his usual stoic face, while his horse was lightly stamping the ground.

"Lissa, climb onto Frederick's horse. That'll be the safest place for you to be while still being able to quickly heal us if needed. Frederick, go down the left side and take out the two swordsmen there. They shouldn't pose much of a problem with their shorter reach. Chrom, you're with me. We'll go down the right and take out the mage and axe-wielders. We'll meet up again on the opposite bridge," he quickly said, pointing at a bridge on the other side of the town square.

For a second, there was no response. The three stared at Robin, with the youngest one's mouth agape.

"You...You're a tactician," Chrom finally said. It wasn't a question.

"I guess?" Robin replied, scratching the back of his head. "The words just rolled off my tongue so naturally."

"Alright, it's better than anything I could've come up with," Chrom admitted. "Frederick, Lissa, you heard him."

"R-Right!" Lissa walked over to Frederick, who helped her onto his horse. Frederick gave one last look at Robin before galloping away.

"Shall we?" Chrom asked, looking at Robin. Robin nodded.

The two ran down the right side of the street with the two axemen running to meet them halfway. Robin stepped to the side, dodging a heavy swing made by one of the brigands. In a single motion, he drew his sword and swung his sword up at the brigand's exposed side, cutting it open, and the brigand fell to the floor.

Robin looked over at Chrom, who had also just finished up his kill, pulling his sword out of the brigand's stomach. Robin's body suddenly moved on its own, leaning backward as a plume of fire passed through the area where his head was just a moment ago.

 _Right, there's also a mage._

Robin mentally kicked himself for not remembering the magic user. He turned towards the opposing mage who was readying another fire spell, reading off an incantation from a red tome in his hand.

 _Not happening._

Extending his arm, Robin released a bolt of lightning from his hand. The lightning hit the mage square in the chest, flashing momentarily before it pierced through and continued out behind his back, leaving behind a small hole.

Chrom was equally as shocked as the now-dead mage, looking over at Robin. "You…You know magic?"

"I suppose?" Robin answered. Even he hadn't meant to do that. His body moved on its own.

Robin experimentally closed and opened his hand, channeling mana through his hand with minimal effort. His eyes widened slightly as sparks of electricity danced around his outstretched palm. He clenched his hand into a fist, ending the small light show.

"Let's meet up with the others," Robin said, moving down the street.

The last of the brigands retreated behind the bridge leading away from the town square. The swordsmen were standing at the end of the bridge while their leader stood between the two. A church glumly loomed over them in the distance, adding to the atmosphere. The leader of the bandits stepped forward. His mouth moved and he guffawed, but his words failed to reach Robin and Chrom over the roar of the flames in the background.

"You think he actually said something funny? Or do you think he's just insane?" Robin asked Chrom.

"I don't think it's the first choice."

"Mm. Same here. Did you happen to notice that he's really ugly?"

It took a moment for Robin's words to register in Chrom's head. When it did, Chrom turned his head in an attempt to stifle his laughter.

"No, I mean, just look at him," Robin grinned. "He's seriously ugly. Like a water buffalo and a horse trampled over his face and then crapped on it, and then the crap hardened to form...whatever that is." He motioned over to the bandit leader's face.

"Robin, please, that's disgusting."

"But you're laughing."

And laughing he was. Chrom was trying his best to hold it in, but he ended up doubling over from laughter.

"Damn it, Robin," Chrom wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. "You just killed all the tension I had built up."

"I did no such thing. All I did was say a few words, and you just happened to laugh."

As Chrom's laughter returned, Robin looked at the three bandits. Just from their posture alone, he could tell from their posture that the two swordsmen were better trained than the others in the village square. Perhaps they were the leader's version of a royal guard. The leader himself was even bigger than the other bandits, easily standing a head taller than the swordsmen. Robin took note of two throwing axes strapped to his legs, another in his hand, and a large, menacing looking axe on his back.

"Milord!"

The sound of a horse's hooves approached from behind. Frederick and Lissa looked to be unharmed, at least, physically. Lissa's eyes were wide from shock, undoubtedly from the killings she just witnessed.

"Milord, are you safe?" Frederick dismounted, briskly walking over to Chrom.

Chrom put up a hand, finally managing to control his laughter. "I'm fine, Frederick, thanks to our friend here." Chrom looked at Robin then back to Frederick. "Did you know he could use magic without the aid of a tome?"

Frederick raised an eyebrow. "That is quite the impressive feat, even for our most advanced magicians. Most of their attempts would end with them either falling to the floor from the strain or having their spell backfire."

Robin scratched the back of his head, unsure on how to react from the unexpected praise. He didn't think that summoning magic on his own would be a big deal.

"It just felt natural," Robin said, before turning his attention back to the brigands, who were kind enough to wait patiently wait for the Shepherds. "Let's finish up here, shall we?"

Frederick nodded at Robin's words. Dismounting, the knight walked onto the stone bridge, hefting his spear. "Very well."

The leader of the brigands looked at his bodyguards and barked a single order. The bodyguards walked onto the bridge, drawing their swords.

For a moment, no one moved. The flames crackled in the distance while the two sides eyed one another.

Behind the Shepherds, a burnt house caved inwards, and the two swordsmen ran at Frederick, sticking together but just enough space between them to not hinder each other's movements. They were better trained than the others, just as Robin assumed from earlier.

But, as Robin soon found out, their formation was for naught. Calmly leveling his spear, Frederick stepped in with surprising speed, thrusting his spear through the first brigand's throat. The second brigand swung his sword down, seemingly unfazed by the death of his comrade. Frederick swung an armored hand, deftly parrying the blow before pulling his spear back. The swordsman swung again at Frederick who blocked the sword with the shaft of the spear, then kicked the swordsman in the chest. The sound of bones breaking rang through the air.

The swordsman stumbled back, coughing up blood. Robin jotted down a mental note to himself to avoid getting kicked in the chest by Frederick. The swordsman was obviously suffering from a few broken ribs, possibly even a broken rib-cage, but his eyes remained as strong as ever. He swung again at Frederick.

This time, however, Frederick didn't move. Instead, he simply stood there, waiting for the blow.

"Frederick!" Lissa screamed in alarm.

To both the swordsman's and Lissa's great surprise, the brigand's sword shattered upon coming into contact with the knight's armor. Surprised by his weapon breaking, the swordsman looked up at Frederick, and his face immediately changed into that of fear and panic. And with good reason, for the face the swordsman was looking at was one of a cold and merciless smile. Robin felt a chill run down his spine, and he wasn't even the one Frederick's icy smile was meant for.

The swordsman's useless clattered onto the ground, his hands trembled from fear as Frederick reached out to grab the swordsman's head, and with a mighty grunt, slammed his head into the ground, shattering his skull. The swordsman's body twitched once, then went still.

Frederick stood up and was almost too late in noticing a hand axe soaring through the air, aimed clearly at his head. He turned his body to the side in an attempt to dodge, but the axe managed to slice through a chink in the knight's armor between his pauldron and chestplate. Blood sprayed from the wound, dyeing a portion Frederick's blue armor a deep red.

"Frederick, get back!" Chrom ordered. "You've done plenty. Now it's our turn."

Robin stepped up along with Chrom as Frederick nodded once before retreating a few steps. Lissa quickly rushed to his side and started mending his wound with her staff.

Together, Robin and Chrom sprinted at the last brigand, who threw another hand axe before reaching up for the large axe on his back. The thrown axe harmlessly whizzed by Robin, clattering to the floor behind him. He raised his arm, conjuring a bolt of lightning. The magic was dodged by the brigand, who quickly advanced and swung his axe sideways. Robin jumped back to avoid the blow, casting his magic once more. This time, the lightning hit the brigand on the shoulder, causing him to growl in pain.

"HAAA!"

With a roar, Chrom stepped in and swung his sword at the brigand's side. The brigand expected this swing however and blocked it with his axe. But Chrom didn't stop his assault there. Dislodging his sword, he swung his sword again from the opposite side, made a feint, and then brought his sword down straight on his opponent's skull, only to find it blocked once again by the hilt. The brigand pushed Chrom's blade back with sheer force, then made a wide swing down at Chrom's side, just nicking the Shepherd's waist. Continuing on the offensive, the brigand started to pressure Chrom with swift blows, backing him up towards a wall.

As their blades flurried about at one another, Robin reached into his cloak pulled out a yellow tome with runes on the cover that translated into the word, "Thunder". He started channeling mana into his hand and was soon holding a cracking ball of lightning. He waited patiently, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. His chance came sooner than he expected, as the brigand kicked Chrom in the chest and towards the side of a building. The back of Chrom's head slammed against a wall, stunning him and causing his vision to blur.

Jarred from the impact, Chrom relied on gut feeling rather than thought alone. He brought his sword up horizontally in a defensive stance, with the palm of his left hand on the flat side of the blade, just in time as he felt a heavy force slam down on the sword. The pressure increased, and Chrom fought to both focus his blurry vision and to push back his attacker. Suddenly, the pressure vanished, and his eyes finally focused to see the brigand slowly fall to the floor. There was a burning hole between the brigand's shoulder blades.

"I guess you owe me one," Robin smirked, bits of electricity dissipating from his hand.

"I thought you didn't need tomes?" Chrom asked, breathing heavily. He stepped over the downed brigand and over to Robin.

"Tomes help focus one's magic and makes it easier to cast spells," Robin said matter-of-factly. "Plus, I look fancy while using a one too; holding an open book in one hand and shooting lightning out of another?"

"Uh-huh…" Chrom deadpanned. He then looked back across the bridge, where Lissa and Frederick were starting to walk over. "C'mon," he gestured at Robin.

Robin smiled and took a step when he felt something was amiss. He couldn't tell what it was exactly, but he somehow knew this familiar feeling of uneasiness, almost as if…

"YOU DAMNED SHEEP!"

The brigand leader that Robin thought he killed was now on his knees. With blood pouring out of his mouth and eyes red, he threw his last hand axe at Chrom's back.

"CHROM!" Robin ran forward and pushed Chrom away from the axe's path, only to now be in the axe's trajectory himself.

 _Well, this feels quite familiar,_ Robin thought before his chest exploded in pain his world went black.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"Right, I took an axe for Chrom," Robin muttered to himself.

He hadn't even known the man for more than a few hours, and yet he almost died for him. He shook it off as him simply being naïve. The door to his room opened with Chrom entering.

"I see you're awake now," Chrom said, shutting the door behind him.

"Don't worry, I still have my memory from when I met you," Robin quipped.

Chrom raised an eyebrow, unsure of what Robin was saying.

"Those were the exact words you said when you found me in the field earlier today," Robin explained, seeing Chrom's confusion.

"Ah, really?"

"Yup." Robin swung his legs off the bed to facing Chrom. "How long have I been out?"

"Only a couple hours." Chrom looked at Robin's chest. "I see you decided to reopen the wound that Lissa worked so hard to patch up."

"A-ah, no! This is - " Robin tried to explain.

Chrom laughed. His voice was calming in a way, contrary to its volume.

"I'm just messing with you. It was a pretty nasty cut, so no wonder it opened up so easily even with Lissa's work," Chrom grinned.

Robin opened his mouth to reply, but then the door to the room suddenly burst open again, hitting a unsuspecting Chrom in the back of the head and knocking him to the floor. A bright yellow figure rushed into the room.

"Robin, you're awake!" Lissa cried out.

"That I am," Robin grinned.

Lissa let out a sigh of relief before seeing his bandaged chest.

"Oh gods, your wound opened up! I'm sorry, I'm still not that good at healing, and it was my first time healing such big wound, and I - " she stammered, panicking.

Robin smiled, putting up a hand to try and ease the girl's worries.

"Lissa, it's fine, honestly. The cut just opened a little bit due to my stupidity," Robin said in an attempt to calm her.

"But but…"

"Truly, I'm fine, Lissa. It was only thanks to you that I'm in such a good condition," Robin said with a small smile.

"O-okay." Lissa took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "But tell me if it starts hurting again."

"Will do," Robin promised.

Another figure entered the room, his polished armor shining and now free of blood. He still had that stoic look stuck on his face.

"Ah, Sir Robin, I am pleased to see you well," Frederick stated. His attitude seemed to have done a completely 180 from before.. "Have you happened to see milord around? I fear he may have gone missing."

Robin merely stared at Frederick.

"Is there something amiss?" Frederick asked.

Robin let out a laugh, then stopped immediately as the action caused him severe pain before laughing lightly again.

"I believe Lissa will have to get her healing staff ready for Chrom," Robin finally said.

"What do you mean?" "What, why?" Fredrick and Lissa both asked in tandem.

Robin simply looked at the floor where Chrom lay face down, unconscious. Both Lissa and Frederick followed Robin's eyes to the ground. He then started laughing once more seeing Frederick's face pale and Lissa's jaw drop to the floor.

"Milord! What has happened to you?!" Frederick immediately knelt next to Chrom and checked for a pulse.

"He'll be fine, Frederick," Robin laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. "He was simply knocked down when Lissa barged into the room. Chrom was simply unfortunate to be standing in the way of the door's path."

At this, Lissa doubled over in laughter. "AHAHAHAHAHA-*snort*-AHAHAHA! Are you serious?!"

"Milady, this is no laughing matter! Milord could have suffered a concussion!" A distraught Frederick voiced.

Robin sat back and smiled as he watched Lissa try and control her laughter and as Frederick tried to wake an unconscious Chrom.

 _Maybe I'm just getting really comfortable around these people, but I feel like I've known them forever. But that wouldn't make such sense since none of them knew who I was…aaahhh, oh well. No point in worrying over that now._

Robin couldn't help but laugh once more as Chrom let out a guttural sound, causing Lissa to laugh even harder than she was before, and Frederick started to panic slightly.

 _I could get used to this,_ Robin said to himself, easing back against the wall behind him and enjoying the scene.

* * *

 **And here it is, Robin's "awakening". That was quite a bit of dialogue in this one along with a bit of fighting. Turns out it's not as fun or amusing writing out a fight scene than imagining one. A lot of words are reused, especially ones such as "cut", "swing", "slash", "a bolt of lightning", and other combat oriented words. It was a bit of a struggle to find ways to write the same thing over and over again without it being repetitive. Hopefully I'll improve upon that as time goes on.**

 **Another difficult and confusing part of this chapter was in the earlier part of the chapter when Robin had yet to figure out his name. It got even worse when his "doppelganger" appeared. Having to try and figure out a way to make it clear that it the line was about Robin and not the other was vexing since I could only use "him", "he", "his", and "the man" until I put in the word "doppelganger", which made it easier to differentiate between the two, but not by much.**

 **And then Chrom came into the story, and once again, I had the problem of having to write a script about two people who have yet to be given names. But that was quickly resolved due to Chrom actually introducing himself, and Robin doing the same a bit further on.**

 **Yeah, I know Robin still hasn't regained his memories like the summary of this story states, but trust me, I'm getting to that point very soon. Possibly like next-chapter-soon….maybe…I have yet to write out the main parts of the script.**

 **Why did Robin lose his memories in the first place, you might ask? Well, I figured that'd be a side effect of being stuck in entire darkness for a prolonged period of time.  
** **If I was stuck in a room without being able to see or hear anything, I pretty damn sure that I would go absolutely insane.  
As for Robin, he was walking through that void for a looong time so I thought it fitting that he slowly lost his memories as time went on.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this lengthy chapter (and A.N.), and I'll see you on the flipside.**


	6. (VI) Skeleton Crew

"For the millionth time, Lissa, we are not going back to that village!"

"But they have actual beds there! Mattresses! Blankets! Pillows! And food! How could you possibly say "no" to all that?!"

Robin sighed as he listened to this argument for the eleventh time, putting a hand to his forehead. He could already feel the imminent headache.

The group of four left the small village they rescued from brigands earlier in the day. The village elder wished to throw a feast in gratitude of the traveling Shepherds (and Robin) and was even willing to let them spend the night without a fee. Lissa was more than excited to take up this kind offer, but much to her dismay, Frederick declined the village elder's show of gratitude. After a short exchange of lines (and quite a bit of grumbling from Lissa), they left the village and continued their way to Ylisstol.

"But, Frederick, it's nearly dark! Just look at the sky, for Pete's sake!"

Robin's ears unwillingly picked up another complaint from Lissa, but this time he could agree. The sun was already setting, the moon visible in the darkening sky.

"Milady, we are still quite a ways from Ylisstol," Frederick responded. "We must pick up the pace else we will arrive at our destination the day after tomorrow rather than tomorrow."

"I don't know, Frederick," Chrom said, "I have to agree with Lissa here. Walking through the woods at night could be dangerous for us due to the lack of light."  
Lissa stuck her tongue out at Frederick at her brother's words.

"Not only that, there's the chance that we could get lost in the woods without being able to see clearly," Robin added.

"That would be of no worry," Frederick stated, "I can navigate through the woods with ease, so there is no worry for us getting lost.

"Perhaps, but what if Chrom or Lissa accidentally trip over a root and twist their ankle?" Robin continued. "That would cause even more of a delay."

Frederick paused. Robin's words had merit; there was no doubt that though he could travel through the woods without any trouble, but the same could not be said for the others. Should his milord and/or milady suffer from a twisted ankle, the blame would fall solely on his shoulders.

"Very well," he finally said after mulling over Robin's words. "We shall make camp here for tonight."

"YES!" an excited Lissa jumped for joy, pumping her arms into the air.

"That being said, I believe a little hunting and gathering is in order," Frederick said, a smile forming on his face. "Now, who wants to clear a campsite?"

Robin felt a shiver run down his spine seeing Frederick's smile. A kind smile should not send shivers down your spine, Robin remembered that much at least.

Before anyone had a chance to say anything else, Robin felt Chrom yank him away and into the woods. He had never seen Chrom looked so terrified, though he only met the person a few hours ago. Not uttering a single word, Chrom dragged the helpless Robin deeper into the woods.

 _ **. . .**_

"Sorry for suddenly dragging you away," Chrom finally said. "It's just that Frederick…camp…preparations…"

The poor man looked absolutely traumatized, so Robin figured it was better not to ask. Seeing that it'd help both of them, he decided to change the topic.

"So, what are we hunting?"

"Ah right, food." Chrom seemed to come to his senses. "Whatever we come across, I suppose."

Robin laughed, "Sounds good to me."

The two walked through the woods searching for game. Unfortunately, neither of the two were hunters, so their prey kept escaping them. They were soon to give up when they heard a loud rustling nearby. Robin shared a quick nod with Chrom before slowly walking towards the direction of the noise.

They came to a small clearing and in the middle was a hulking bear. He couldn't remember if he ever had bear meat before, but his mouth watered all the same. He could already imagine himself biting down on to the soon-to-be-cooked meat, and he slowly drew his sword as Chrom did the same. However, the sound of unsheathing swords alerted the bear, and it turned its head to look directly at the bush the two were hiding behind.

It growled. Slowly, the bear started making its way over to the bush.

Robin looked at Chrom. "Run out, and distract it. Make it turn around. I'll run in, jump on its back, and run my sword through its neck," he whispered.

Chrom stared at Robin as if he sprouted a second head. "How stupid do you think bears are? It'll never fall for that!"

"We're out of time and options, now go!" Robin's voice wasn't much of a whisper anymore.

"And if it the bear doesn't turn around?"

"I guess we'll find out just how good I can improvise."

Chrom glared at Robin before looking back at the bear, steeling himself. "This better work, Robin, else we're both dead. And I'll make sure to kill you before the bear does," Chrom muttered, before running out of the bush and at the bear.

The bear seemed to be surprised, not expecting Chrom to run at it and took a couple steps back, wary.

Chrom stood still, waiting for the bear make a move. His knees were bent slightly, ready to jump to either side should the bear rush at him. Unfortunately for Chrom, the gap between the two didn't shrink as the bear continued to stare Chrom down.

"Robin?" Chrom called out, his voice shaking a little. "I don't think your plan is going to work!"

The bear growled again.

"The bear isn't stupid, Robin!"

 _Damn it, Chrom! All you had to do was turn the bear around!_ Robin ran out from the bush. _Is that really that hard to – GAH!_

Robin's chain of thought was interrupted as he failed to see a stone by his feet, causing him to trip and his sword slipped out of his grasp.

 _Good job, me,_ he mentally patted himself on his back as his face slammed into the soft ground.

He heard the bear roar, felt the ground shake as it ran forward, heard a panicking Chrom scream in a slightly higher pitch than normal, a dull _*thunk*_ , something heavy hit the floor, and the silence.

 _Well..._ _I just indirectly got Chrom killed._

Not wanting to see his mauled friend, he stayed still on the floor for a bit longer. Then he heard his supposed dead friend laughing.

 _'And now he's gone insane as he approaches Death's door,'_ Robin gloomed. He slowly brought his head up and saw the bear staring back at him, not even an inch away from his face.

"Gyaaahhh!" Robin yelped as he scrambled backward. Chrom's laughter only got louder.

Confused, Robin looked around and spotted Chrom doubled over in laughter, who then soon fell onto his rear as his legs gave out from laughing. Robin looked back at the bear, which was now sporting a horn, similar to a pegasus.

He blinked and shook his head; there's no way a bear would suddenly sprout a horn. He looked back again at the bear and saw that it was no horn, rather, it was his sword sticking out of the bear's forehead.

"What the – how? Why?" Robin tried to wrap his head around the scene in front of him. He looked over at Chrom, searching for an answer. Chrom only replied by laughing even harder than he was before, tears streaming from his eyes.

 _ **. . .**_

Robin was standing in a field. Hills upon hills of grass could be seen with a magnificent castle in the distance. A cool breeze swept through the area, causing the grass to dance about.

"A pleasant view, isn't it?"

Robin turned to see a hooded figure who was wearing the same cloak as his. The markings on the sleeves were the same, down to the strange eye-looking patterns and gold embroideries.

"Who…Who are you?" Robin asked.

The hooded figure said nothing, calmly walking past Robin.

"Hey!" Robin called out, slightly irritated for being completely ignored.

Robin's arm reached out, grabbing the figure on his shoulder. The moment Robin's hand came into contact with the hooded figure, an explosive pain erupted in his head, causing him to reel back. The hooded man turned around to look at Robin with an amused smile visible beneath his hood.

"It's not nice to randomly touch someone that you don't know even if they know you," the man smirked. "Common courtesy and such."

His face was hidden under his hood, so Robin was only barely able to make out his chin and a part of his mouth.

"Who are you?" Robin asked again.

"Hmm... Who am I indeed..." The man put a finger onto his chin in a classic thinking pose. "Let's put it this way: I'm you, but different. Just a you that happened to go down a different path at a certain point in life. At that point, I... _ascended_ , so to speak, while you 'ran away'."

"What are you talking about?" Robin scowled.

"You ran away and left them all alone, including the little girl who looked up to you so much."

The plains around them flashed brightly, causing Robin to shield his eyes from the brightness. When he looked again, his mouth dropped open, horrified at what he saw.

The once beautiful plains were gone, replaced by a sea of flames. The once blue sky was now a blood red, and the castle in the distance was in ruins, smoke billowing up into the sky. The charred ground cracked open beneath his feet and swallowed him whole.

The scene shifted. He was standing in the middle of a giant hall. In the very front of the hall up on a pedestal was a small metal shield with five glowing gems embedded in it. Purple flames started to form around the shield and the room started to shake violently. The ground beneath him was uplifted, bright beams of purple light shining through the cracks with a giant... _thing_ rising from the depths of the earth.

The scene shifted again, and Robin was standing outside of a crumbling tower. The same beams of light came from the windows of the tower, and as the tower started to crumble, he saw a shadowy figure rise. A long neck shining with scales the color of obsidian, wings of darkness were connected to its immense body, and six shining red lights on its head, three on each side. Two wickedly curved horns sprouting from its forehead.

A monster. A dragon.

The dragon extended its neck into the sky and let out a bloodcurdling roar that nearly ruptured Robin's eardrums. Fire rained from the heavens and countless blue circular lights opened up in the sky with dark figures pouring out of them. The dragon looked down at Robin and opened its maw.

 _ **It's about time that you woke up, Robin. And I'm not just talking about this dream.**_

There was a voice that spoke into his mind. It wasn't from the dragon. While Robin didn't know whether or not the monster was capable of speech, something told him that it wasn't the dragon's voice. This was someone...some _thing_ else.

Whatever it was that spoke to him, Robin didn't know, nor did he have the time to search for the source. Dark energy started forming in the dragon's gaping mouth, growing larger by the second. Then it released the energy, sending a large beam made of darkness at Robin.

 ** _. . ._**

Robin's eyes shot open, cold sweating rolling down his face. The ground was violently shaking with fire burning all around him. The scene was just like his dream.

 _What in the world is going on?_

Robin struggled to get up as he tried to remember the events that took place just prior to him falling asleep.

He killed a bear with Chrom, brought it to camp, ate it, threw some bones at Chrom, talked about their short-term plans, talked of Chrom's unique looking sword that was called "Falchion", and then they all fell asleep sooner or later. Nothing tied back to the fact that there was now fire falling and the ground cracking apart. Picking up his sword and tome by his bedroll, he looked around for the others.

Chrom and Lissa were both gone, with Frederick stowing the last of their belongings into a large knapsack.

"Frederick, what's going on?! Where are Chrom and Lissa?" Robin shouted over the roar of flames.

Frederick shot a glare at Robin. "That is what I was just about to ask _you,_ Robin."

Robin stood shocked for a moment. Then he realized that he was the prime suspect for the missing siblings. He was about to reply when the sound of metal clashing pierced through the air.

"I guess we found our answer," Robin muttered, running off into the woods. Frederick was already moving before Robin finished his sentence and quickly ran ahead of him.

The clashing of metal grew louder and Robin found both Lissa and Chrom on the outskirts of a field. A couple of abandoned forts lay strewn around, and he saw a few dark figures from his dream slowly come into view. Strangely enough, their walk was off, as if they didn't have full control of their body.

"Milord! Milady! Are you hurt!"

Frederick galloped over – yes. _Galloped_. As in on a horse. A horse that was nowhere in the area a second ago - to the siblings, who looked to be unharmed.

"Frederick, Robin!" Lissa called out, a look of relief spreading across her features as her bodyguard and friend rushed over.

Robin looked over at the approaching figures again. He felt his stomach churn as he noticed that the figures had purple skin, with glowing red eyes. Calling them "human" didn't feel right. They felt more like…creatures. Monsters.

"Hey, uhh...Chrom? Those things over there... Are you familiar with them?" Robin asked, dreading the answer.

It took Chrom a second to reply, almost as if his mind and thoughts were elsewhere. "They're not from Ylisse, I can promise you that much."

"No one is injured then? Thank the gods…"

Robin had to fight down a scoff. Leave it to Frederick to worry about his wards rather than the unknown entities lumbering towards them.

"Thank the masked man who saved me!" Lissa exclaimed. "If it wasn't for him, I'd be…" her voice trailed off as she looked around. "Hey, where did he go?"

"Worry about the man later, Lissa," Chrom sternly said. "As much as I'd like to thank him myself, we have slightly more pressing matters at the moment." He then looked at Robin expectantly. "Plan?"

The plan-maker glanced over the field and forts again, his brain cycling through a hundred thoughts per second.

"Let's make our way over to that fort." He pointed a finger a little ways into the woods where the walls of a rundown fort could be seen. "We'll have a defensive advantage and it'll force those...things to come to us. Same teams as last time."

The others seemed to be in agreement with his hastily crafted idea. Lissa jumped onto Frederick's magical horse within seconds and the four of them started making their way through the woods.

Two shapes appeared from within the fort. The creatures looked even worse up close. They were practically moving corpses, almost as if a puppet was controlling them with strings attached to their limbs. Their purple skin was rotten with bits of flesh gone exposing the dark green rotting muscle underneath. One of them was missing a chunk from its waist, while the other was missing the lower part of its jaw.

Robin fought back his dinner as the creatures slowly stumbled forward, their rusted axes raised. Suddenly, they sprinted at Robin with alarming speed that made their slow walk earlier seem a joke. Fortunately, Chrom was ready for this, as he stepped in, cleaving the head off of one of them and stabbing his sword through the other in a smooth motion. The creatures dropped to the ground, disintegrating into a purple mist.

"That's disgusting," Robin distastefully said.

"Very much so."

Inside, Robin saw that the fort was empty aside from the fallen debris scattered throughout. Stairs led up on both sides of the entrances to the top of the wall - a good vantage point for him to cast magic.

"Chrom, Frederick, move those rocks in front of the doorway," Robin ordered. "Make the entrance a narrow gap so that these things can only enter one at a time. We're finished if they all pour in at once. Lissa, try and look for supplies: ropes, medical supplies, anything."

Despite the knight's slight reluctance, the three of them immediately moved as Robin ordered. Running up to the wall, Robin saw that the flames spread further, nearly engulfing the entire area around them in one vast wall of flame. The creatures numbered just around a dozen, all wielding crudely maintained swords and axes.

 _This shouldn't be_ too _difficult to hold with just the four of us,_ Robin thought to himself. _I can pepper these creatures with some magic as they approach. Thin them out a little so that Chrom and Frederick won't have as much to deal with. In theory, at least._

He looked back down to see Chrom and Frederick push the one last rock in front of the doorway, with just enough of a gap for the creatures to walk in single file. Lissa came running out from the interior of the fort. She looked up at Robin, her palms up giving him the message, "I found nothing."

 _This should be enough. It has to be, else none of us will get through the night._

"CAPTAIN CHROM!" a husky voice shouted from the edges of the field.

"Who...?" Robin looked over the wall to see a red-haired knight atop a horse making her way towards them while a flash of blue came rushing out of the woods. The flash of blue turned out to be a fairly well-dressed man with light blue hair and holding a bow, chasing the woman.

The woman seemed to say something, brandishing her spear in the creatures' direction, before looking over to the man who was saying something. The woman then scoffed at the man, turning around. The archer said something else before the woman turned around for the second time. After a brief pause, her leg lashed out at the man, clearly annoyed at what the man said. Whipping her reins, the knight's horse galloped over to the fort.

"Sully!" Chrom ran up to meet the knight, whose horse barely managed to squeeze between the rocks.

 _Glad to see the rocks are working well so far,_ Robin thought as he walked over to the new arrival and saw the blue-haired archer run in as elegantly as he could.

"I'm glad to see you safe," Chrom said. He looked behind her and at the archer. "Who might this one be?"

"A jester." Sully clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"You wound me, my dear flower," the archer exclaimed, extending his hand. "I am Virion, he who strides large across history's greatest stage and is the archest of archers!"

Robin walked next to Chrom. "My memory seems to fail me again, Chrom. Mind filling me in?"

Chrom shook his head. "I know as much as you do on the matter of this Virion, I'm afraid."

"Oh, who's the greenie?" Sully looked at Robin, sizing him up.

"Ah right, I suppose introductions are in order," Chrom said. Robin felt a strange sense of déjà vu. "Robin, meet Sully, a fellow Shepherd and a long time friend of mine. Sully, meet Robin. He knows how to use swords and tomes as well as tactics, so his words on the field are to be taken with the same respect as mine."

Robin and Sully nodded at each other. This was good. Robin would need all the help he could get and Sully looked to be an experienced soldier. He already revised his plan to accommodate the unexpected reinforcements.

"Sully, defend the entrance with Frederick. Chrom, take out any stragglers that get through. If either Frederick or Sully gets wounded, switch places with them so Lissa can heal them. Lissa, stay behind Chrom and get ready to heal." The four of them nodded before moving into their respective positions.

"Virion, you're up with me on the wall. We'll take out as many as we can to ease up the burden on the others."

"I promise that I shall not disappoint!"

With that said, Virion briskly made his way up to his position before pulling back an arrow. Robin followed, but rather than going to where Virion was, he went to the front corner, which was a spot where he could cast spells safely at the creatures' backs.

The creatures were almost at the fort now. Robin looked over at Virion, nodding. Understanding the message, Virion released his bow. His aim was true and struck one of the creatures between the eyes, causing it to disintegrate into a purple mist.

As if that was some sort of cue, the other creatures all rushed forward at once. Just as Robin did not too long ago, Virion underestimated the creatures' running speeds, causing him to miss his next arrow. Robin cast a fireball down at one of the undead, burning a hole through its chest. Virion shot another arrow and took down another before he abruptly stumbled backward with a crude arrow sticking out of his shoulder.

"Virion, go down to Lissa. Have her heal your wound! Then provide cover from below!"

Without a word, Virion jumped off the wall and jogged over to Lissa, who immediately held her staff high.

Robin looked out into the field and spotted a pair of undead archers posted on the wall of the other fort. He ducked behind cover and heard an arrow fly overhead while another hitting the block he was behind.

He heard shouting and steel striking steel below, but forced himself to ignore them. His primary concern was the archers. Robin jumped out of cover, rolling to the side and then rising to his feet. He felt something hit his thigh, and as it was on fire, but he paid it no mind as he prepared to cast his spell. Lightning coursed through his veins naturally, as if he'd done this countless times before, and he quickly stood to his feet and threw out his hand.

There was a crack of thunder as a bolt of lightning shout out of his open palm, only for it to fizzle out before it even reached the opposite fort. The second archer fired off another arrow before Robin could duck back into cover, and an arrow embedded itself in his side.

"You accursed - !" Robin's eyes flared.

With fire in his eyes, Robin's body began moving on its own accord. He felt the familiar rush of mana surge from the center of his body and down through his arm as he raised his hand into the sky. Within seconds, dark clouds gathered above him and there was the low rumble of thunder. There was a brilliant flash of yellow before a large bolt of lightning crashed down onto the opposing fort.

It was nothing short of overkill. Dust and debris flew into the air with traces of lightning still arcing through the flying clods of dirt. The walls of the fort were reduced to rubble and the two undead creatures had their bodies torn apart before they started to disintegrate. What remained was a smoking crater with glassy inclines.

Robin's mouth was agape. _How did I do that?_

It was the same feeling he got back when he was fighting the brigands, with his body performing actions on its own.

 _Maybe my body still remembers things even though my mind doesn't?_ Robin guessed, flexing his hand.

He looked down where the others and saw the fight coming to a close. Frederick impaled his spear into the final undead creature, watching as it crumbled into dust. Virion seemed to be healed, as he was testing his arm to check for any signs of pain. Chrom seemed to have no wounds on his person, while Sully was having a nasty cut on her side being tended to by Lissa.

"That went a lot better than expected," he said to himself.

Robin took a step forward and nearly fell over as a sharp pain ran up his leg. He had forgotten that one of the archers managed to pierce his thigh as well as his arm. Slowly easing the weight on his leg, Robin took a step down the stairs and towards Lissa.

At least, that was the plan. The moment Robin's foot landed on the first step of the stairs, an ear-piercing roar split the air. The stone floor crumbled beneath him before he was suddenly sent hurling through the air.

 _ **. . .**_

Robin's ears were ringing. He slowly opened his eyes, and through his blurry vision, he managed to make out a hulking mass in the center of his vision as smaller figures surrounded it. He heard muffled thumps and yells as he slowly managed to sit up.

"..bin...down...l...Lis…heal…ou…"

He heard someone talking to him as his hearing slowly returned. He saw a figure in yellow clothing next to him and felt a warm feeling spread across his body.

"Thank you, Lissa," Robin managed to cough out, looking over at the girl. Dirt and soot were covering her face as she looked at him with tears forming in her eyes.

"You scared me," she sobbed. "There was so much blood."

Robin looked down at his body. His shirt had a hole in it with a dark red mark surrounding the hole. The same could be said with his thigh as it too was hit by an arrow, and over half his shirt was covered in blood. He watched as his wounds started to close thanks to Lissa's healing magic. Sadly for him, the blood didn't return to his body.

"Hah, I look like death," Robin dryly laughed. "Thank you again, Lissa."

Robin looked over at the others. They were all engaging one of the undead creatures, only this one was twice their size, with its arms slightly too big for its body. It wore a metal mask over its face with the eye sockets burning a bright red.

Sully rode her horse by the creature, stabbing it in the leg with her spear before ducking low to avoid the creature's fist. Virion was up on the walls of the fort, shooting arrows into what would be vital points for the average man, but his arrows were nothing more than pinpricks to the monster. Chrom leapt through the air, sinking his sword into the creature's chest before kicking off of it, landing safely onto a passing Frederick and horse. Frederick galloped to a safe distance to drop off Chrom before spurring his horse back to the creature. The Shepherds were doing their best to down the creature, but their weapons did little more than aggravate it further.

The creature roared, swinging one its arms to the side and managed to land a lucky hit on Frederick's horse, sending both the beast and rider crashing into a wall.

"Lissa, go!" Robin yelled before pulling out his own sword and running towards the fight.

"Wait, you're not fully healed!"

"Don't worry about me! Get to Frederick, quick!"

The creature turned to look at Robin. Its eyes gleamed, and Robin was sure its eyes narrowed. Suddenly, one of the glowing lights blinked out as an arrow lodged itself in the creature's eye. Roaring, the creature turned to look at Virion who was already pulling another arrow from his quiver. In a single step, the creature bounded over to the wall Virion was perched on and slammed its fist into the wall. Virion never had a chance to fire off another arrow as the wall shattered into pieces, falling to the ground, and the archer vanished amidst the rubble.

"Virion! Damn it!" Robin cursed.

That was two Shepherds either incapacitated or killed by the creature in less than half a minute. Even Robin would have been downed were it not for Lissa's healing.

 _This enclosed area is not the best place to fight an enemy this size._ Robin's brain already came up with a plan to fight this monster. "Sully, lure the monster outside! Chrom, dig Virion out from under the rubble!"

The two remaining Shepherds started following Robin's commands instantly. Chrom turned and ran over to the collapsed part of the fortress while Sully threw her spear at the creature's neck, drawing its attention. Sully then made her way out the doorway of the fort, shouting quite a number of few colorful words as the monster chased after the now-weaponless cavalier. It never heard of a door nor learned how to use them as it barreled through the stone archway of the entrance.

Robin quickly ran outside the fort and nearly froze when he saw a large piece of the broken wall hit Sully's horse on the head. The beast's head caved inward upon impact and it crumpled onto the ground, throwing Sully off of its back. With a stroke of bad luck, the horse ended up landing on top of her legs and she let out a yelp of pain.

"Let's go for lightning again," Robin muttered as he threw out his hand.

Instead of the usual yellow element, emerald blades of compressed wind were released from his outstretched arm, greatly confusing the caster. Not that he was complaining; three of the wind blades hit the hulking monster on its back, creating large gashes of open flesh, while a fourth sliced through the side of the neck of the creature. For a second, Robin thought that he managed to decapitate the monster, but then the monster slowly turned to look at Robin. Its single eye seemed to gleam in through the darkness of the night, despite the roaring flames around them, and its neck seemed to be hanging on by a few tendons of muscle and rotting flesh.

"Uh oh…" Robin paled, regretting ever drawing the monster's ire onto himself.

For an expressionless, undead creature, the giant thing seemed to look at him with its eye full of malice. It charged him, raising its fist and letting loose a roar that rattled Robin's bones.

Against his better reasoning, Robin's feet decided to move forward. Why did they move forward when his mind was screaming at him to run _away_ from the angry monster? He didn't know. His mind and body needed to get along soon or else they'd be the end of him.

Figuring that it was too late for him to back out of this unwanted idea of his, he decided to commit to it as best as he possibly could, given his situation. With his sword in hand, he slid between the monster's feet, dodging a giant fist that would've most likely shattered his bones instantly. During his slide, Robin swung at its ankles. But due to his mind being in disarray, he subconsciously cast a wind spell at the same time. The result in his willing and unwilling actions combined was a blade magically coated in wind, which shredded the monster's flesh and muscle from its bone.

Robin rolled to his feet as he ended his slide. He glanced down at his sword and his brow furrowed in confusion. Rather, his sword couldn't even be called a sword anymore; its blade was twisted like a coil and resembled a really tiny lance more than a sword.

A chill ran down his spine. He looked away from his sword just as a massive fist slammed into his arm.

Something snapped. Rather, _multiple_ somethings snapped from the blow. He was weightless as he was ragdolled across the air before he painfully landed on his back and rolled a few meters before finally coming to a stop.

He couldn't couldn't see anything. His entire right side felt as if it was on fire. Even the tiniest of movements caused fresh pain to run through his body. Was breathing supposed to be this difficult? He couldn't remember. His eyes slowly started to open.

 _Oh. That's why I couldn't see anything - my eyes were closed._

Robin pushed himself up with one arm. He was honestly surprised that the monster didn't kill him yet. The reason for that was because the monster was currently preoccupied with a certain swordsman with an elaborate sword. Perhaps it was due to his fuzzy vision, but Robin could swear he was seeing two Chrom's. He blinked away his foggy vision and realized that it wasn't a doppelganger of Chrom, but a different person dressed entirely in dark blue clothing. He winced when a spike of pain suddenly ran through his head. Then the pain faded as quickly as it came.

Shaking his head and pushing the strange feeling of pain aside, Robin looked around the area for his twisted sword. _Sword...sword...sword-lance? Where - ah, there it is._ He found it far out of his reach, sticking out of a pile of burning ash. _Well, that's useless now._

He turned his attention back to the fight. At first glance, it looked as if Chrom and the stranger were winning. The two of them managed to work together to slice off one of the monster's hands at its wrist, but they were getting tired. Their movements looked sluggish while the monster seemed to have an infinite amount of stamina. Perhaps it was due to it being an undead. At this rate, the two would no doubt make a mistake and get incapacitated or die.

Then an idea appeared in his head. Taking in the deepest breath as he could at the moment, he yelled, "CHROM! BEAR FIGHT! YOU'RE ME!" He could only hope that Chrom understood.

Both Chrom and the stranger looked at Robin, the former looking relieved and confused at the same time. Then his eyes widened before he was forced to dodge the monster's remaining fist.

"Robin, that is _not_ going to work!" Chrom managed to shout.

"Not with that attitude! Get ready!" Robin yelled back.

If Chrom wanted to argue against Robin's plan, he never got the chance as Robin summoned a bolt of lightning at the creature's face. The spell didn't manage to even hurt the thing but drew it's attention nonetheless. With a mighty roar, it began to run at Robin, who was still on one knee, not having the strength to stand. He quickly shot out another lightning bolt at its legs in an attempt to make it stumble, but the monster barreled through the attack without slowing down.

 _Not good! Where's that wind magic when I need it?!_

The undead creature continued its mad charge on Robin when a blue blur appeared next to it. There was a flash of metal at the monster's ankles, right where Robin's previous attack had shredded the ankles. With very little left on the joint, the stranger was able to slice the feet clean off of the monster's legs, sending it crashing to the floor. Not a moment later, Chrom jumped onto it's back and brought Falchion down on the undead's head.

For what seemed like an eternity, the world stood still. The three fighters continued to stare at the undead in case it gained a second (or would it be third, given how it already died before), and they all relaxed when the body started to disintegrate into purple dust starting from the head. Chrom stumbled backward from exhaustion, and Robin could've sworn that he saw the stranger's arm move forward just a little before stopping.

"So..." Robin let out a deep sigh and smirked at Chrom. "I told you the bear plan would work. And you didn't believe me."

Chrom stared at Robin, obviously wanting to make a retort but failing to find the words. The two stared at one another in silence before bursting into laughter. The stranger just watched from behind a butterfly mask with what Robin could only assume to be curiosity, given the slight tilt of the head.

"You are one insane bastard, you know that?" Chrom said, shaking his head.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Robin laughed. He then winced as his body flared in pain once more. "Aha - ow, it hurts to laugh."

 ** _. . ._**

A little while later, Robin, Chrom, and the masked stranger regrouped with the others. The stranger was reluctant at first, having wanted to leave as soon as possible, but with a little convincing from an extremely grateful Chrom, the stranger relented.

Upon their return, Robin was relieved to see that everyone was doing fine. A little worse for the wear, but none looked to be severely wounded. Sully was favoring one leg of the other and Lissa had just finished tending to Virion, who was unconscious on the ground with a welt on his head. Frederick looked perfectly fine. There wasn't even a speck of dirt on his face, which Robin found to be extremely strange.

"Milord!" The knight's face brightened upon seeing his liege. "You're safe!"

"That I am," Chrom smiled. "Thank you again, Frederick, for watching over Lissa during my absense."

"Tis nothing, milord," Frederick replied. "I was tasked by your sister to watch over the both of you, and while I would much prefer to keep you _both_ out of harm's way, keeping milady became the top priority upon your request. Though I had no doubt that you'd return safely, I cannot help but worry when you are out of my sight."

Were it not for one half of his body in severe pain, Robin would've laughed. He instead settled for a teasing grin. "He's like your mother, Chrom. Give Frederick a set of armor that's a little slimmer than the one he's wearing and a full faced helmet, then he could very easily pass off as one. Until he speaks, that is."

"You're not entirely wrong," Chrom agreed. He then placed a hand onto the stranger's shoulder, whose body stiffened at the touch. "If you want to thank anyone, Frederick, thank this young man here. Were it not for him, I have little doubt that Robin and I would've survived that monster."

 _"Young man"?_ Robin narrowed his eyes at the stranger. He couldn't exactly place it, but something told him that the "young man" was a "young woman".

"Truly? Then you have my eternal gratitude for keeping my liege safe." Frederick lowered his head in the "young man's" direction.

"It was nothing," the stranger replied in a voice that sounded...forced, somehow. "I just happened to be at the right place at the right time."

"It may be nothing to you, but you saved my life and the life of my friend," Chrom smiled, gesturing over to Robin. "And by extension, you saved the lives of four others: Frederick, Sully, Virion, and my younger sister, Lissa. That doesn't count as "nothing" in my book. Truly, thank you."

The stranger went silent upon hearing Chrom's gratitude. When 'he' turned his head in Robin's direction, 'his' body tensed up.

"Robin? Are you alright?" Chrom asked.

"No, he's not!" Lissa gasped as she rushed over. "Your arm shouldn't be bending that way, should it? And I never fully healed you before you ran off earlier!" She took out her staff and a soft glow surrounded Robin's body.

"Thank you, Lissa," Robin gratefully said as the pain started to fade. Now, instead of his body feeling like someone injected fire into his bones, he only felt as if he was sticking half of his body in a fire. Big difference.

"You had this intense look on your face, Robin," Chrom continued. "Did..." He then looked at the stranger. "...I just realized that I never got your name. My name is Chrom. May I ask you for yours?"

"...It's Marth," the stranger replied after a brief pause.

 _Lies,_ Robin accusingly thought. He then blinked as he had no basis for calling "Marth" out.

"As in the Hero-King Marth of old?" Chrom warmly smiled. "Well, you definitely fight like a hero. You'd do him proud, I'm sure." The stranger looked down 'his' feet at the compliment as Chrom turned his attention back to Robin. "Anyway, Robin, has Marth done anything wrong?"

"...What?" Robin blinked and looked at Chrom. "No, why do you ask?"

"You were kinda staring at Marth with a really scary look," Lissa explained.

Robin shook his head. "I...see. And no, he didn't do anything." He then turned to Marth and lowered his head. "My apologies if I offended you, Marth. I did not realize that I was staring at you in a scrutinizing manner."

"No offense taken," Marth said a little too quickly.

An awkward silence fell upon the group after that.

"Um...Marth?" Lissa sheepishly looked at the masked 'man'. "I never really got to thank you. For saving me, that is. So uh, thank you." A bright grin formed on her face. "It was really brave."

Marth only nodded in reply and averted 'his' gaze. Another moment of silence fell on them again, but this time, it was Sully that broke it.

"Hey, kid. Where'd you learn to fight? Managed to catch a glimpse of your movements when I stuck and I gotta say, you move pretty damn well."

"I learned from my - that is of no importance." Marth shook 'his' head and muttered something under 'his' breath.

"Uh, come again?" Chrom asked. "I couldn't quite catch that last part."

Marth shook 'his' head again. "I'm not here to speak about me; I'm here to give you a warning of a looming threat. A threat that could very well bring a great calamity upon this world. What you saw tonight - " Marth motioned to the burned forest around them. " - is nothing but a prelude. An opener."

Everyone paled upon hearing those words except for Robin. What Marth said sounded eerily familiar, almost as if he knew what 'he' was talking about. However, no matter how hard he searched into the depths of his broken memory, he couldn't remember anything. Nothing resurfaced, save a flash of long, blue hair.

"What do you mean?" Chrom asked with a grim look on his face. "A threat? Calamity?"

Marth opted to not reply and simply began to walk away.

"Hey, wait!" Lissa called out, causing Marth to stop walking. A small semblance of hope appeared on everyone's faces as they waited for an answer.

"That is my only warning to you. The only warning that I can give," Marth said over "his" shoulder. Then 'he' continued to walk into the woods and vanished into the darkness of the trees.

"...Not much for conversation, is he?" Chrom grumbled, breaking the silence.

"Indeed," Frederick agreed.

"Chrom! Quick, follow him! He has answers!" Lissa quickly yelled, pointing into the woods.

"Milady, we must hurry back to Ylisstol," Frederick sternly said. "I worry for the capital and we must bring news of what occurred tonight to the exalt and council. If such creatures appeared here, then what's to say that they have not appeared across the land as well?"

Lissa pouted and kicked the dirt. "But - "

"It's alright, Lissa." Robin placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "I'll follow Marth."

"What?! No, you won't!" Chrom adamantly said.

"Trust me on this one, Chrom. I'm not entirely sure who you guys are exactly, but given how Sully called you "Captain" and Frederick keeps calling you and Lissa as "milord" and "milady" respectively, I can only guess that you two are in seats of power. I'm going to shoot a little further and say that the two of you are members of royalty since I don't think anyone can just hire such a loyal guard."

Chrom looked surprised at Robin's words, and he capitalized on the moment and continued to speak.

"Now that I've guessed that you and Lissa are royalty, I apologize for my lack of decorum and etiquette from the past day. However, with that being said, if you are members of royalty, then I would only assume that it'd be best for your family if you hurried back to your estate."

"But what about you? Didn't you say that you'd come with us?" Chrom hotly argued.

"That I did." Robin nodded. "I assure you that I have no intentions on abandoning you, but as I am nothing more than a vagabond with nothing to my name, I do not think that my presence would be taken too well in political affairs. However, should I manage to get answers from Marth, then I would be able to not only return to the Shepherds, but I'll also be able to add some credit to my name."

"I don't care about you and your amnesia!" Chrom said. "In Ylisstol, I'm - "

"Milord!" Frederick hastily interrupted at that moment and managed to grab everyone's attention. "If I may, I believe that Robin's idea be the best course of action. As we return to Ylisstol, Robin can hopefully track down Marth and possibly get some information. Though the chance may be slim at the moment - "

"A chance that's getting smaller by the second," Robin added.

" - if we bring Robin to Ylisstol, the chances of getting any sort of information will be zero," Frederick continued while nodding at Robin's words.

Chrom was silent for a few seconds. "...And this isn't you saying this just to get rid of Robin?"

Frederick looked like he was trying to swallow a bug. "...No, it is not."

"That's a first," Lissa laughed.

"...Very well," Chrom reluctantly sighed. "We'll go with Robin's idea."

"Thank you, Chrom," Robin said.

"But!" A finger was jabbed into Robin's chest by a slightly irritated Chrom. "You better return as fast as you can, alright? If you need directions, just ask anyone where Ylisstol is and they'll be able to point you there."

Robin's mouth split into a wide grin. "Aye aye, milord," he teasingly said, mimicking Frederick's voice as best as he could.

He then turned around and ran off into the woods as he felt Frederick silently fume at the mockery. The knight could loosen up some, Robin decided.

 ** _. . ._**

* * *

 ** _. . ._**

 **A lot of this chapter is a greatly in-depth and exaggerated version of how I usually play** **Chapter 1 of FE:Awakening, "Unwelcome Change". I tend to use the top fort on the map as my defending spot, letting the Risen come to me. Of course, in the game, the Risen Chief doesn't exactly smash its way into the fort, but I figured it'd be more interesting like that.**

 **We also see Robin leave the Shepherds temporarily, something that does not happen in-game. As for the reason? Well…I'm sure that you clever readers will be able to figure that out.**

 **Rewritten: October 17th, 2018**


	7. (VII) Reunion Tour

Rapid footsteps sounded through the woods. Robin was running between the trees, chasing after the mysterious person that aided them in the previous fight. 'Marth', he had called himself, and it was this very person that Robin was chasing after in the dark woods.

The moment Robin laid eyes upon this 'Marth', his head felt as if it was swimming. Random thoughts and what he assumed to be his memories swirled back and forth in his brain as if his body was telling him that he knew him. No, he _had_ to know him. Every fiber in Robin's being was telling him that Marth was a key figure in his memories, and could possibly help him recover them.

Looking down at the ground, Robin was following a set of light footprints that were just visible. Judging from the distance between each footprint, Robin figured that Marth was also running at this point. He followed the trail until they stopped. The footprints were no longer there, almost as if their owner simply vanished.

"What the…" Robin scanned the ground around him, hoping to see anything that would help him find Marth. He looked up into the trees, hoping he would find the blue-clothed figure in the branches, but all he saw was the night sky. He kicked the ground in frustration. "Damn it!"

Now that his adrenaline was low, Robin found himself to be exhausted and parched. He must've run a lot further than he thought in his haste and desperation to find the mysterious figure.

Robin heard the sound of running water and started walking towards the source. After a minute or so of walking, he found a wide river and knelt down by the riverbed. He dipped his hands into the water, feeling its coolness against his skin. Cupping his hands, he lifted his hands to his mouth and drank. The freezing water ran down his throat, quenching his thirst.

For a while, Robin just sat there on the riverbank. He searched his memories again to remember anything about his past, specifically about Marth, but all he got was bits and pieces that he couldn't seem to put together; a tall, thin man casting purple energy from his hand, a look of shock on Chrom's face as he stared at Robin, a group of weary soldiers, and Falchion.

He sighed and rose to his feet. His head was aching from the strain of trying to remember his past. He turned to leave when he heard a small splash just down the river bend. Curious, he followed the river downstream. Turning the river bend, what he saw made time seemingly stop.

In the water, standing waist deep was a woman so serene that Robin thought he was seeing things. Her skin was smooth and light, glistening as water ran down her bare body. Her body was lean and toned with her cerulean blue hair shining as she basked in the moonlight.

Robin stood there staring at the breathtaking view. He didn't know how long he stood there. It could've been mere seconds, to minutes, or possibly even an hour. He didn't know.

A single word escaped his lips.

"Beautiful."

But the meaning of the word paled in comparison to what Robin was seeing.

Whether it was from intuition or her ears picking up on Robin's voice, the woman abruptly turned around. The world stood still as the two stared at each other, neither of the two moving. Then the woman's face turned a bright shade of red, from either embarrassment or anger (probably both) as she turned her body away as Robin did the same.

"My deepest of apologies," Robin quickly said. "It was not my intent to watch you bath."

There was no reply from the woman. The sifting of clothes could be heard from behind him along with a few metallic clinks. After what seemed like an eternity, the woman spoke.

"You were with the group from earlier."

"That is correct."

He heard the woman let out an exasperated sigh.

"You can turn around now."

Robin briefly hesitated. He then slowly turned and looked at her face. He had another weird flash of memory, only this time, there was no image. Just a feeling – a feeling that this was someone he knew. The intensity of her gaze, the shape of her eyes, the color of her hair, all of it seemed so familiar.

Strangely enough, for a fraction of a second when the woman looked at Robin's face, she seemed shocked – almost panicked. However, she quickly regained her composure, as if her moment of shock was just Robin imagining things.

"Why did you follow me?" the woman asked, her hand hovering close to the hilt of her sword.

"I…I don't know. I just had a feeling that I needed to ask you something, but then I lost track of you," he truthfully said. "Then I heard the sound of the river, so I came to get a drink, heard a splash from down the river, turned the bend, and saw you."

"And then you decided to watch me as I bathed." The woman's voice was dangerously calm.

"Please understand, I did not mean to watch you as you bathed," Robin said as he lowered his head. "While I doubt you'll forgive me for intruding upon your privacy and committing such a humiliating act, for what it's worth, I apologize."

He kept his head down and waited. The woman didn't say anything nor did Robin hear her move. He started to count the number of his heartbeats when the woman sighed once more.

"It's fine. Lift your head."

Not wanting to provoke the woman's ire any further, he obeyed. He opened his mouth to speak once more, but then his voice failed him as his mind started to put shards of his memory together.

"I – I know you…" Robin's jaw tensed.

Then Robin noticed that her left eye was a little brighter tint of blue than the other with some sort of marking. He took a small step forward, getting a closer look –

Pain.

A bloodcurdling scream escaped his throat and Robin felt as if his head was about to split open. The pain tore at his mind, growing in intensity by the second as it forced him down onto his knees. He felt a hand on his shoulder, but he couldn't tell if it was fake or not due to the nigh-unbearable pain in his skull. Suddenly, as quickly as it came, the pain vanished. He felt as if a crack appeared in the void that was his memory and as if a cool liquid was being poured into his head.

A single word, a name, appeared in his head. Robin looked up at the woman's face, then at her left eye, recognizing the Brand.

"Lucina…"

Robin felt as if his heart was torn apart the moment the name left his lips. He remembered his last meeting with Lucina as a child. He remembered the terrible news he brought her, the pain he felt, and her face as the strong girl broke down in front of him; all of it came flooding back.

Lucina's eyes widened as she took a small step back.

"It- it can't be…" Lucina's voice was nothing more than a whisper. "How do you know…"

Robin smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in it.

"You've grown so big, Lucina," he said softly, echoing the words that he said to her on that one night.

The moment those words left his mouth, Lucina visibly reacted. Her eyes were full of emotions as they visible widened: shock, sorrow, comfort, and recognition. She rose to her feet and took a single step back, and despite the myriad of emotions in her eyes, her facial expression was one of disbelief. And hope.

"That's… That can't be… R-Robin?" she shakily asked.

"Yes, that is indeed my name," he replied with a cheeky smile.

"The same Robin?"

A small frown appeared on his face as he stood up. "I would sure like to think so. I'm not sure how the 'me' of now holds up to the memories of your tiny version."

There was silence for a few seconds as Lucina angled her head down and looked at her feet. Her hair prevented him from seeing her eyes, and after a few seconds, her shoulders started to shake. For a brief moment, Robin thought that she was crying, but just as he finished that thought, she looked up and he realized that she was laughing.

But also crying. She was cry-laughing.

"It truly is you, Robin," she smiled as she wiped eyes. "Only you would say something like that."

"I aim to please," he said, causing her to lightly laugh once more. He waited a little bit for her laughter to fade before speaking again. "I believe there's a village not too far from here. That is if memory serves. Might I suggest that we head there? There should be an inn, so we can sleep under a roof rather than outdoors."

"Very well," she agreed. "These woods aren't the best place to be staying the night in."

The two walked into the darkness of the woods with Lucina leading the way. Good thing too seeing how Robin did not remember the layout of the area, despite regaining his memories. Evidently, he didn't venture much in the southern part of Ylisse. Then again, he only remembered a very select portion of his memories, not everything else. Perhaps that'd come with time.

 _ **Very nice, Robin. First time meeting someone new and you make them cry**_ _ **.**_

Normally, one would start questioning themselves if they heard a second voice in their head, but Robin wasn't exactly a normal person. As such, he decided to reply to the strange voice.

 _To be fair_ , _this technically isn't my first meeting with Lucina since I've known her as she was growing up._

 _ **Indeed. However, this is your first meeting with grown-up Lucina.**_

 _But it's_ still _Lucina_.

 _ **Are you seriously arguing with yourself about this?**_

 _Who's the one that initiated this little debate? You or me?_

 _ **Wow. You are actually doing this, aren't you…**_

 _You're avoiding my question._

 _ **I'm merely a figment of your imagination. So you started this conversation with yourself and even replied to yourself.**_

 _You make it sound like I'm insane._

 _ **Those that are insane tend to have one-on-one conversations with themselves, which is exactly what you are doing.**_

 _I am NOT insane._

 _ **First step of acceptance is denial.**_

Robin groaned at himself, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sir Robin? What's wrong?" Lucina looked back at him.

"Ah, it's nothing. Just thinking to myself," Robin replied.

 _ **Ha! "Thinking to myself", what a cute way to put it.**_

 _Shut up, me._

 _ **If you wish. But you know you love me, me – you – us… I can see how this will be a problem. It is quite confusing**_ _ **.**_

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

After stumbling through the woods for a while, Robin and Lucina came to a village. The guards didn't even pass them a second glance as they entered, and Robin began to worry about the level of security for the village.

"There's so many people here…"

Lucina's voice was no higher than a whisper, but it was just enough for Robin to pick up on it. Although he was curious as to what she meant, he decided to keep his questions to himself for now as they entered the inn. The moment they stepped through the inn's door, they were greeted by the lone receptionist.

"Good evening," she said. Her eyes widened ever so slightly upon seeing Robin, but her expression returned to normal a split-second later. "Will you be needing a room for the night?"

"Yes. Two rooms, please," Robin answered.

"My deepest apologies, but we only have one room available at the moment," the receptionist replied. "I am afraid that we are booked on all the other rooms."

Robin looked over at Lucina, unsure whether or not she'd be willing to share a room with a man. She didn't seem to mind, simply nodding once at Robin.

"Very well. We'll take it," Robin said, handing the receptionist a couple of silver coins.

The receptionist took the coins and pointed down a hall to their right. "Down the hall, last door on the left," she guided them before handing them their room key.

"Thank you very much," Robin thanked the receptionist, taking the key.

The hall was dimly lit, but bright enough that they could easily make out the walls and floor of the building. It was well kept with polished floors and walls, and a potted plant placed between every few rooms.

Just as the receptionist said, Robin found their room at the end of the hall. He opened it to see a single bed, a couple of chairs, and a small desk. It was quite a similar layout to the inn that Robin woke up in the other night. He put his hand to his chest without even realizing it, remembering the wound he received on that day. It healed well enough, thank the small miracles for that, leaving behind a thin scar that was difficult to see if one was not looking for it.

"You can take the bed," Robin suggested to Lucina.

"No, I couldn't - " Lucina started before Robin put up a hand, stopping her.

"Please, it wouldn't feel right if I took the bed," Robin said. "And I'm pretty sure you need it more than I do."

Lucina hesitated for a brief moment before accepting his offer. She sat down on the bed, took off her boots, and the rolled over to her side. In an instant, she fell asleep. Seeing Lucina peacefully sleeping, he was reminded of the times when she'd fall asleep to him telling stories.

 _That seemed like so long ago,_ he wistfully thought.

He let out a small sigh before looking around the room.

"Now then, how can I make myself comfortable on the floor…" he muttered to himself. He looked down at his clothes that were still covered in dirt and slightly stained with his dried blood.

 _That receptionist must've had quite a fright seeing two people carrying swords and wearing worn down clothing walk through the doors. Especially me, since I didn't let Lissa fully heal my wounds._

 _ **Oh yeah, definitely. Did you not see the look on her face when you entered?**_

 _Oh, so that was it. Though I guess that's why she hesitated for a bit back there._

 _ **Go figure. There's a bath down the opposite hall. Make yourself presentable. You smell like pegasus dung. Also, wash and mend your clothes. Lucky for you, you learned how to sew before, so those tears on your shirt and pants should be a cinch.**_

 _Why am I being scolded by myself…_

 _ **Someone has to look after me.**_

 _You…I…we…gods this is confusing. You, who is technically me, are looking after me, so in a way, I'm looking after myself._

 _ **Sure you are. Now hurry up, you're stinking up the room.**_

 _Fine fine…_

 ** _. . ._**

 _"Robiiiin!"_

 _A young girl ran through a brightly lit hallway towards the castle study. Opening the door that was nearly twice her height, she entered the room._

 _"Robin!" she called out again, seeing the snow-haired tactician._

 _Robin yelped as he organizing a large pile of books. Startled, his hand slipped and the small mountain of books came crashing down on him._ _The little girl watched in amazement as hed vanished beneath a pile of books._

 _"Haagghh...that hurts... Hey there, little princess," Robin groaned._

 _Lucina giggled from what she was seeing. All that could be seen of Robin was his head sticking out of a makeshift blanket of paper and covers._

 _"Robin, let's play!" she brightly grinned._

 _Robin chuckled at the young princess. "I thought you were supposed to be studying with Frederick and your sister?"_

 _"Frederick is boring!" Lucina pouted. "And he doesn't like to play!"_

 _"Oh? And I, the Grand Tactician of the Ylissean Army, right hand to your father, the Exalt, and the one that stays locked up in the study more often than not, isn't boring at all?" Robin jested._

 _"Nope!" Lucina beamed._

 _"Heh, alright then," Robin smiled._

 _"Yaaay!" Lucina threw her arms up in excitement._

 _"But first!"_

 _"Aww…" Her arms fell to her sides._

 _"You have to help me out from underneath here."_

 _Lucina blinked as she momentarily forgot that Robin was trapped under a pile of books._

 _"Okie!" she giggled as she walked over to push some of the books off of the buried tactician._

 _"ROBIN!"_

 _A booming voice resonated through the study as hurried footsteps could be heard from outside the study's door._

 _"Uh-oh, you're in trouble!" Lucina stuck her tongue out at Robin, who was still trapped._

 _"Oh, I don't think it's me that's the problem here." Robin had a sly grin on his face._

 _The door to the study nearly fell off its hinges as the Exalt burst into the room._

 _"Robin!" he yelled, eyes darting around the room. "Have you seen Lucina? She can't be found any…where…"_

 _His voice failed him as he saw Robin's head under the book mountain and Lucina looking at him in the middle of pushing a small stack of books off of the pile. The Exalt covered his face with his hands._

 _"Hello there, your Highness," Robin said graciously, fully aware that Chrom disliked being referred to as such. "Whatever can I do for you on this fine day?"_

 _"Dammit, Robin…" Chrom groaned from behind his hands._

 _"Whatever seems to be the problem?" Robin innocently asked._

 _Chrom lowered his hands, glaring at his friend. "You could have told me that Lucina was here with you. Everyone was worried sick that she was missing!"_

 _"It wasn't Robin's fault- " Lucina started._

 _"Apologies, Your Majesty," Robin interrupted Lucina, "But it is much too fun to see you panic about. I simply could not resist the temptation."_

 _'His Majesty' pinched the bridge of his nose. "I thought I told you many times before to not use any formalities with me."_

 _"Did you now? Silly me, how could I have forgotten an order from His Highness?" Robin gleefully said._

 _Chrom let out a groan of frustration before looking back at the tactician. "Were it not for the things we've gone through together…" He left his thought unfinished. "Just…just tell me next time if you plan on playing with Lucina," he sighed before turning around to leave, closing the door behind him._

 _Robin stared at the door, smiling to himself._

 _"Uu..uuu…"_ _A small sob came from the little princess._

 _"Lucina? What's wrong?" Robin asked._

 _"I'm sorry, you got in trouble because of me," she sniffed._

 _"Ahaha! Don't worry about that," Robin laughed. "Your father tends to yell at me a lot, but he never means anything he says."_

 _Lucina looked at Robin through tearful eyes._ _"Really?" she asked._

 _"Really really," Robin smiled at Lucina, lifting his head an inch off the ground since that was the best he could do given his current situation. "Come on, do you think you can smile for me?"_

 _Lucina sniffed one more time before wiping her tears away and gave Robin the best smile she could._

 _"That's my princess," Robin said. He struggled to get an arm free and then reached up to stroke her hair._

 _"Now then," he looked back at books that laid over him like a heavy and not-so-comfortable blanket. "Let's dig me out of this so we can play, shall we?"_

 _"Mm!" Lucina happily nodded and the two started to move the books around to free Robin._

 ** _. . ._**

Lucina opened her eyes, slowly blinking as her world came back into focus. She stared up at a wooden ceiling as the sunlight streamed in from a small window above her. A small smile came to her face as she thought about the pleasant dream she just woke from. Thinking back, she would cause quite a bit of trouble in the castle as she had a habit of running off without notifying anyone. She had forgotten that in recent years.

She quickly sat up remembering the events that took place last night; warning her father about what's to come, walking through the forest, entering the inn, and climbing into bed and falling asleep the instant she closed her eyes as Robin gave up the bed –

"Robin?!" Lucina realized that she was in the room alone with no sign of the tactician. Had she imagined it all?

At that very moment of minor panic, the door to her room opened and Robin stepped in with a bag slung over his shoulder.

"I see you're awake now," he said, setting the bag down in a corner of the room. He then briefly paused and made a sour face before muttering something under his breath.

"Is something wrong, Sir Robin?" Lucina asked.

"It's nothing," Robin replied. "Just mentally kicking myself for saying the exact same thing that your father said in a situation not too different from this."

"I…see…" she murmured, not fully understanding what he meant.

"Also, can you please not add the 'sir' in my name," Robin continued. "It feels...what's the word...unnerving."

"Then how should I address you?" She asked.

"Why not just 'Robin'?" After all, that's what you called me in the past…future...when you were younger." His brain hurt thinking of what was his and her past, yet this world's future, unsure of what to call it.

"Very well, S- Robin," Lucina said.

"Nice! That sounds much better!" Robin smiled. "Also, when was the last time you had a good night's rest in an actual bed?"

Lucina gaze fell. "We haven't had the luxury of beds for a long time," Lucina said quietly. "For years, we've been sleeping on the ground, on guard at all times in case the Risen would attack while we slept."

"That's…terrible."

" _'Terrible'_ is putting it lightly," Lucina grimaced. "In the future, almost no corner of the world is safe. Grima was resurrected, and Risen would prowl through the lands as masters of all. The people cowered in fear and terror, helpless to do anything to oppose the Risen."

"Risen?"

"Yes, the dark monsters that you've encountered earlier. Bodies of those dead moving according to Grima's will. They are mindless creatures, attacking anyone and anything that enters their sight," Lucina explained. Her entire body visibly shuddered as she recalled her many skirmishes with the undead. "That is why I've come back in time, to avert this future. My friends and I worked with the Divine Dragon Naga as she opened up a portal to the past. We defended the portal until the last second to ensure that none of the Risen would be able to follow us through. But they must have found a different way to come back seeing how they appeared in the forest last night."

"I see," Robin said quietly. "I suppose that's why I've also come back in time…maybe…I'm not sure."

"What do you mean?" Lucina asked, not fully understanding his words.

Robin hesitated, unsure of how much he should tell her. Knowing that this would take a while, he pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Lucina, who was still sitting on the bed.

"Like you, I've also come from the future. Unlike you, however, I didn't exactly come willingly. I simply woke up in this world without any memory. Strangely enough, I've been seeing flashes of my memories ever since my awakening, though they're only fragments." His body visible tensed up as he continued to speak. "The last thing I can remember before returning to the past was handing you Falchion and a few parting words. After that, I climbed through the castle wall, sat down, and closed my eyes. I was fully expecting death but I just…slipped away. Next thing I know, I'm being woken up in a field by Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick, helped a town being attacked by brigands, camped in the woods for the night, woke to the Risen attack, and the rest is history."

Robin concluded his story, leaning back on his chair. None of them said anything for a few minutes, each thinking of their own past.

"I can't imagine not remembering anything." Lucina finally broke the silence.

"It's not so bad." Robin shrugged. "You get to experience things for the first time again, such as bear meat. It is quite delicious."

"I suppose that's one way of seeing things," Lucina said with a small smile.

They sat in silence for a little longer.

"You said you came through the portal with your friends," Robin recalled. "Do you know where they are?"

"Sadly, no." Lucina shook her head. "Naga had said that the stronger our will and sense of purpose, the closer and faster we'd arrive at our destination. For all I know, they could be strewn about the world or even still traveling through time."

"And you arrived pretty quickly and right on top of us. That's pretty impressive."

"Thank you, Robin." Lucina looked down for a moment before frowning. "May I ask you something?"

"Ask away," Robin said, tilting his chair back.

"You said that you handed me Falchion on the night you traveled back in time."

Not entirely sure where she was headed with his, his brow furrowed ever so slightly. "Yes, that I did."

"But you never gave me Falchion. It was handed to me by my mother."

"Wha - WOAH!" Robin lost his balance and fell to the floor alongside his chair.

"Robin! Are you alright?" Lucina jumped off the bed, extending her hand to help Robin up.

"Haaugh, that was terrifying. Thanks." Robin grabbed Lucina's hand.

This was unexpected. Robin had thought the two of them had come from the same world but just at different periods in time, but this was quite the revelation.

"You're sure that it wasn't me that gave you Falchion?" Robin asked.

"Absolutely. A couple of days after your disappearance, my mother arrived in Ylisstol along with the rest of the Shepherds. Shortly after, she handed me Falchion and said that father was betrayed by his closest friend."

Robin felt as if a knife stabbed at his heart. His gaze turned to the walls, then the floor. He couldn't bear to look Lucina in the eyes.

"Robin, please, do you know who killed my father?" Lucina pleaded.

He didn't reply immediately. Instead, he dropped his gaze and looked up at the ceiling while biting his lower lip. After a few more seconds, he deeply sighed. "I'm afraid that there are still quite a few holes in my memory," he finally answered.

"I-I see…"

"I'm sorry."

Lucina shook her head. "Don't be. It's not your fault."

"Is that also a reason why you came back in time? To find your father's murderer?" Robin asked, meeting her gaze again.

"You are correct," Lucina said. "My father's death is the reason that Grima was revived."

"So, you're saying the future rests upon whether or not Chrom lives," Robin said dejectedly.

"Yes, my father is the key. Without him, my future WILL come to pass."

"I'm so sorry," Robin apologized again. And then his brow furrowed his lips tugged downward into a frown. "Wait, backtrack a little. Something doesn't add up."

Lucina raised an eyebrow. "Yes? What is it?"

"In my time, I handed you Falchion before leaving. But in your time, I didn't; rather, Sumia gave it to you."

"Lady Sumia?" Lucina asked, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean what do I mean?" Robin was getting really confused. "Hold on - _Lady_ Sumia? Is Sumia not your mother?"

"What?! No!" Lucina looked appalled. "My mother is Cordelia! Lady Sumia married Sir Frederick!"

"HUH?!" Robin took a tiny step back in shock. "But then…that means - " Robin's face paled and his eyes slowly widened in realization. "Oh gods…" he breathed out.

"Robin? Are you okay?" Lucina asked, worried and still confused as to what he was talking about.

For what seemed like an eternity, Robin was silent.

"Lucina, listen carefully." When he began to speak, he spoke slowly, making sure that Lucina wouldn't miss a single word. "This is going to sound insane, but..." Robin took a deep breath. "...the world that I hail from is different from the one that you come from, and this world - " he pointed at the ground. " - could very well be a different world from both of ours."

"What do you mean?" Lucina looked at him as if he sprouted a third eye.

"I mean exactly what I'm saying. I was skeptical about it at first, but what we just talked about confirmed it. In my world, I was the one that handed you Falchion, while Cordelia handed you yours in your world. Not only that, Chrom and Sumia were married in my world. In your world, however, Chrom married Cordelia, not Sumia, which also means that the woman that Chrom is to marry is still up in the air for this world."

Lucina's eyes widened in shock as she shook her head in disbelief.

"That – that's not possible…"

"It is possible. The two of us alone is proof enough," Robin sighed. "We can't disregard the fact that there's a chance that this world is also different from either of ours, though I'm not entirely sure. But, big "but" here, and this is just my speculation... This world could very well be your world but years in the past, while it's unlikely that it's mine."

"What do you mean?" Lucina repeated. The poor girl was nearing her limit on this matter.

"When I came to this world, it was by mere chance. I simply slipped away from my world somehow and ended up here," Robin explained. "But things were different for you. You had Naga's help and willingly came to this world."

"Naga herself opened up a portal to the past," Lucina recalled, slowly beginning to understand what Robin was saying.

"Exactly. I might have traveled through time and space, but Naga could have sent you through time alone and not space if that makes any sense. You had the assistance of a goddess."

Under normal circumstances, what he was saying would be seen as nothing more than a drunk man's ramble. But these two time and world travelers were far from being what would be considered normal.

"This…this is quite a lot to take in…" Lucina muttered.

"I know. But it is most likely without a doubt true," Robin grimly said.

Lucina stepped back until the back of her legs touched the bedframe. She sat down, trying to process the bizarre news thrown at her.

"Though I must say," he suddenly chuckled, his eyes moving just above hers. "Thirty hours is quite a long time for one to sleep."

Lucina narrowed her eyes at Robin, not sure what he was talking about. Then it dawned on her.

"Th-thirty…hours?!" Lucina stammered.

"Eh, give or take." Robin shrugged. "We arrived at the inn around midnight-ish, you slept through the whole day yesterday, and the sun's been up for a few hours now. So yeah, roughly thirty hours."

Lucina couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could she have been so irresponsible? Her possible future was on the line, and she wasted an entire day sleeping!

"Why did you not wake me?" She demanded.

"Believe me, I tried," Robin answered, "But you didn't even stir in the slightest manner when I shook your shoulder."

She quickly slipped on her boots before walking over to the door only to be stopped by Robin.

"Whoa there, I know that look," Robin said. "Chrom would get that exact same look whenever he'd go and do something that I consider to be pretty rash."

"Then you should know that there'd be no point in trying to stop me," Lucina snapped back, instantly regretting her tone. She should not have lost her temper at Robin, who was simply trying to help. Thankfully, Robin seemed to take no offense at her words.

"I know, and I won't be stopping you. But how will you be defending yourself if you aren't in the right state of mind? The concept of time travel is no simple matter."

Lucina's gaze dropped.

"Not only that, how will you fight against the Risen without a weapon?"

"Wha-?" Lucina's hand immediately moved to her side where Falchion usually was, only to grasp at air. "Where is Falchion?" She glared, only for his grin to grow wider.

"Easy there, princess." Much to her vexation, he looked to be close to laughing. He pulled back the hem of his cloak for just a moment, but just long enough for Falchion's golden hilt to be seen. "If you're to go and kill some Risen, you might want to fill your belly with some warm food first. You can't fight on an empty stomach."

Lucina's stomach growled at the mention of food. She hadn't had a proper meal in ages.

"That and you might also want to look the part," he chided. "You've quite a bedhead. And a bit of drool on your..." He pointed at a spot just next to the corner of her lips.

Lucina's cheeks flushed as she wiped at the side of her face, and she indeed felt a small trail of dried drool. Seeing her embarrassed look, Robin finally burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.

"There's a restroom at the opposite end of the hall." Robin opened the door and pointed down the hall. "Along with a bath if you wish to wash up."

Lucina nodded once before quickly leaving the room, head down in embarrassment. She had just gone through a lengthy and dark conversation about her future with drool on her face and her hair a bird's nest. How much willpower did it take from Robin to not crack a smile during that time? Lucina entered the restroom, locking the door behind her. She looked in the mirror to see a face that she almost couldn't recognize. The constant years of fighting Risen with little sleep and the pressure placed upon her to lead her friends had been more than a bit of stress, and it would show.

But the girl in her reflection seemed to have almost none of that stress. Yes, her hair was a mess and her cheeks were bright pink, but she looked a lot more relaxed than before. The usual dark circles under her eyes were nonexistent and her skin looked brighter than normal.

 _Perhaps it was the desperately needed rest?_

Lucina questioned herself as she turned on the water to the bath. Steam quickly filled the small room as the hot water filled the tub. She started unbuckling her belt when a knock came through the door.

"Lucina?" Robin's muffled voice sounded through the door.

Lucina hastily put her belt back on before opening the door just a crack.

"Yes?" She poked her head out, her face going a little red again as she remembered her drool mark.

Robin held up a neatly folded bundle of clothes in his hands. "I thought you might want a change of clothes since the ones you wore with your armor seemed to be a bit…dirt covered."

Lucina looked down at herself. Her blue armor and cloth had dirt caked onto spots all over, with bits of cloth torn here and there from her fights with the Risen.

"Thank you, Robin." Lucina took the change of clothes from Robin's outstretched hand.

"I'll be back in the room, so take your time."

With a final wave, Robin turned around and proceeded to walk down the hallway.

Locking the door once more, Lucina looked down at the clothes Robin brought her. It was a simple navy blue shirt and black pants, not too different from the outfit she was currently wearing. She had almost forgotten that she was under the false persona of "Marth", a male, and was touched at the thought Robin put in. After all, the Hero-King didn't exactly walk around wearing a dress.

Putting the clothes aside, she undressed and stepped into the bath, letting out a sigh of content. Lucina had forgotten the last time she was able to take a warm bath and relished the moment. After this, she imagined wouldn't be able to take another warm bath in a long time, and sank into the warm water.

She wouldn't leave the bath for another couple hours.

 ** _. . ._**

"So, what will you do now?"

The two of them were standing outside the inn and began to walk down the road when Robin asked her the question.

"I plan on going north to Regna Ferox," Lucina replied. "A tournament is soon to be held there."

He nodded and placed a hand in his pocket. "I take it that you're going to participate in the tournament?"

"Yes, though I will be representing the West-Khan Basilio, not Khan Flavia."

"Hold on, doesn't that mean that you'll be on the opposing side of Chrom?" Robin asked.

"Correct, I'm surprised you knew that," Lucina replied.

Robin shifted the bag from earlier on his shoulder, causing its contents to rattle slightly. "A bit of my memory returned on that matter."

"I thought you'd be supporting your father, not fighting against him."

Lucina shook her head. "I wish I could, Robin. But Khan Basilio's champion is Lon'qu, and in his fight against my father, Lon'qu is nearly killed before falling unconscious and my father receives a wound that impairs his swordplay later on in his life," she explained.

"That's…quite different from what happened to us," Robin recalled, turning a corner and nearly bumping into a passerby. "In my world, Lon'qu is soundly defeated by Chrom with neither of them receiving a major injury. Sure, Chrom took a nasty cut down his chest, but that was easily healed by Lissa and Maribelle's joint effort."

"I wish not to take any chances, Robin," Lucina sighed. "If I'm to be Khan Basilio's champion, then I can avoid inflicting a major wound on Father."

"I see your point," Robin agreed. "So what's your plan?"

"I will become Khan Basilio's champion by besting Lon'qu in a duel," Lucina firmly said.

"That's a lot easier said than done, though I do admire the confidence," Robin chuckled. "Lon'qu may not be as battle-honed as he is in our future, but he's still a gifted swordsman. It won't be easy taking his title of Champion away from him."

"I am well aware, Robin. But both my father and you told me that being skilled with a sword is only half the fight and - "

"- the strength of will is the latter half," Robin automatically finished. While he didn't remember saying it, the phrase definitely felt, and sounded, familiar. "I guess I did say that, huh?"

Lucina smiled. "Besides, it's not like I have the world future resting on my shoulders or anything."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Did…did you just make a joke?"

"More along the lines of a sarcastic statement," Lucina retorted. "I _did_ watch you and Father bicker back and forth quite often, so I picked up on a few things here and there."

"Of all the things to learn, it's that?" Robin groaned.

"I'm sorry, should I have not?" Lucina looked down.

"No, I'm actually glad you did. Humor is always nice to have around, and to be honest, I'm actually a bit proud that you learned from me rather than someone else," he admitted. "And at least this way, there'll be two of us to pester Chrom," Robin added with a sly grin.

Her expression immediately saddened. "I'm…I'm afraid that may not happen, Robin. I only plan on interfering with events that directly lead to Grima's resurrection. Any more than that and I risk changing the events that are to occur."

"I see. But that doesn't mean that you can't be with the Shepherds."

"That carries too much of a risk, mainly for myself," Lucina replied.

"What do you – oh…you haven't been born or even conceived yet," Robin remembered.

Lucina nodded. "By joining the Shepherds, I may not even exist in this world."

"So you're just going to be working in the background? I don't know about you, but that just sounds depressing."

"I wish I could join you and my father in the Shepherds," Lucina solemnly said. "But my position mandates otherwise."

Robin racked his brain for some way for Lucina to join the Shepherds with little risk as possible.

 _She could keep her mask and be 'Marth' – no…that'll cause too many complications. For starters, would she get her own tent or share with others? And by sharing, her identity could easily be figured out, not to mention the bathing hours for men and women._

 _ **How about an eyepatch to cover the Brand on her eye?**_

 _That'll look absolutely ridiculous…_

 _ **But it could work.**_

 _'Could', not 'will'._

 _ **Hmm…what if she doesn't have to keep her identity a secret?**_

 _And risk Lucina not being born in this world?_

 _ **Maybe that won't have to be a risk.**_

 _How so?_

 _ **All Lucina has to do is not join the Shepherds for roughly two years after the war with Plegia. That way, baby Lucina will be born and Lucina won't be risking her own existence.**_

 _But how would we get around to telling Chrom and Chrom's wife-to-be about Lucina being from the future? Hell, how am I to tell Chrom that I'm from the future? And a different world?!_

 _ **You're a smart person, are you not? I'm sure you'll figure that one out. I've already given you enough help with Lucina here.**_

 _Urgh…_

"Okay, Lucina, how about this?" Robin clapped his hands together. "There's still a way for you to join the Shepherds and your father while still having little-you of this world being born."

Lucina visibly perked up upon hearing Robin. "There is?!"

"Yup, and it's actually really simple. All you have to do is wait until after the war with Plegia. Chrom's wedding is held after the war, and in my time, you were conceived soon after. So, just come after then, and problem solved!"

"But how will I tell my father about who I am? That I'm from the future?"

"Just leave that part to me," Robin replied confidently. "I'll think of a way no matter what."

Lucina's eyes wavered, uncertain about his plan.

"Trust me, Lucina, it'll all work out," he promised.

Lucina hesitated, before nodding. "Very well, Robin. I trust you."

"Great!" Robin exclaimed. "Now all I have to do is figure out how to break the ice to Chrom that I'm from the future…"

"You're a smart person, Robin. I'm sure you'll figure that one out." Lucina teased.

"Oh, you little smartmouth," Robin retorted, grinning. His grin vanished not a second later.

 _Wait a minute, that was exactly what you said not even a minute ago._

 _ **Coincidence.**_

 _I doubt that._

 _ **Do you honestly think that I somehow managed to reach out from the inside of YOUR head when I'm merely a figment of YOUR imagination into her head and give her an idea?**_

 _Well, when you put it that way…_

"I learned from the best," Lucina grinned, pulling Robin back from his head.

"Uh-huh," Robin deadpanned. He looked around and realized that they were at the edge of the village. "So, I suppose that this is where we part ways? You to Ferox and I to Ylisse?"

Lucina's smile faded, remembering her task. "Yes." She reached up tucked her hair back in, changing her appearance almost instantly. Robin had forgotten that she wasn't Lucina, but "Marth".

"I'll see you at Regna Ferox?" Robin said.

Lucina nodded. "Hopefully as West-Khan's champion."

Robin shook his head. "Not 'hopefully'. As pessimistic as this sounds, hoping for something means to leave it out of your hands and in destiny's. And as a tactician, that is something that I strive to fight against," Robin said fiercely. "Therefore, Lucina, I will see you not hopefully as West-Khan's champion, but _as_ West-Khan's champion. Confidence is key, especially if you're going to take Lon'qu's title."

She opened her mouth to make a retort but quickly closed it. She then closed her eyes for a second before opening them again.

"Very well, Robin. I'll see you soon as the champion of West-Khan," Lucina declared with a smile.

"Heh, that's more like it," Robin said, smiling proudly. "Oh, one more thing." Robin slung his bag off of his shoulders and held it out to Lucina. "Here; a parting gift full of goodies that'll help you on your journey," he explained before Lucina had a chance to ask what it was.

"When did you find the time to buy all this?" Lucina inquired, hefting the bag.

Robin put a hand to his chin, acting as if he was thinking hard. "Well, I did have an entire day to myself since you decided to stay in bed."

"R-Right…" Lucina blushed, forgetting she spent an entire day sleeping.

"There's some vulneraries and elixirs in case you get injured. You don't exactly have a healer traveling with you and those can only do so much, so try not to get hurt too badly," Robin said. "There's also a bedroll and a couple other things you may find useful along the way."

"Thank you again, Robin." Lucina smiled, appreciating the gift. "Safe travels."

"Same to you, little princess," Robin replied, grinning. "You'll need it more than I do."

The two then parted ways, one headed north and the other south.

 ** _. . ._**

Three hours. That's how long Robin to walk only halfway from the village to Ylisstol. And that's how long it took for him to regain most of his memories and recall his own fighting style along the extent of his magical abilities.

He remembered calling down bolts of lightning from the sky, similar to the one in the previous Risen attack, where he reduced a fort to nothing. Scenes of him warping wind magic in a way to momentarily fly in the air without the aid of a mount flashed in his head, and apparently, he was even capable of managing short-ranged teleports, though he remembered blacking out for a few days the first time attempting it.

With all that in his head, all Robin had to do was figure out _how_ he managed his past feats. Being able to do so would greatly benefit himself, the Shepherds, and help change the future that Lucina came from.

 _Ah, damn it!_ Robin kicked himself mentally. _I forgot to ask about the others that came back with her! I wonder if Lucina has a sister. Cordelia did have a daughter named Severa, if memory serves. So maybe Severa is Lucina's sister? I'm also curious about which Shepherd married who in her timeline. Oh well, I'll ask her that next time we meet._

 _ **'** ** _N_ ext time' is in a day or so.**_

 _Ah right, I forgot. Chrom is headed to Regna Ferox for some negotiations._

 _ **Indeed he is. And there's a good chance that he'll cross blades with his future daughter.**_

 _I'm sure it'll work out._

 _ **Or so you say…**_

 _It'll be fine as long as we win and Khan Flavia becomes the Head Khan. I'm sure Lucina will know to purposefully lose the fight._

 _ **Possibly. Watch out for that river in front of you.**_

 _Ah bwaahh – thanks._

 _ **How did you miss that? It's a large river. Not exactly the hardest thing to see.**_

 _Who put this river in the way?_

 _ **Nature did. And it's your fault for straying off the path. How'd you manage to do that anyway?**_

 _My mind is a bit occupied right about now. Where's the –_

 _ **The bridge is over on your left.**_

 _Thank you._

 _ **You are literally thanking yourself.**_

 _I'm not thanking myself, I'm thanking you._

 _ **I AM you.**_

 _Didn't we go over this before?_

 _ **We did, and you refused to get it in your head that I'm just a voice that you're imagining to answer your own questions.**_

 _Speaking of me, there's something that's been weighing on my mind._

 _ **I'm all ears…or mind…or thought.**_

 _We traveled to a different world and past, correct?_

 _ **That is indeed what we deduced earlier.**_

 _Baby Lucina has yet to be born, yet Lucina is here in this world. Which means that they are two of the same person, but just from different times._

 _ **That is correct.**_

 _But then…what about the "me" of this -_

 _ **Risen up ahead on the bridge.**_

 _Wha – oh gods dammit. I lost my train of thought._

Over a dozen Risen were grouped up just in front of the bridge Robin was headed to. On the other side of the bridge was a group of fighters desperately fending them off.

 _Smart. Using the narrow bridge as a choke-point against the Risen. That's similar to my plan back in the woods with the fort's entrance._ Robin silently praised them. _Whoever's leading that group knows what they're – oh gods, that's Chrom and the others…_

Robin blanched as he realized that he was watching his past-life-best-friend struggle to fight back against the undead. There was no mistaking that golden sword in the hand of the blue-haired prince.

 _Wow, Chrom has a scary look on his face. I would not want to be on the other end of his blade._

The Shepherds were slowly being pushed back off the bridge, losing ground by the second. He reached into his cloak for his sword, only to remember he rendered his sword useless in his previous fight and forgot to buy another one. Cursing to himself, he paused, trying to think of the fastest way to save his friends. Then he remembered the lightning he summoned back in the woods.

"How did I do it last time…" he muttered. "I think it was something like…" Robin started to channel mana into his hand. "Just a little more…and done!"

Raising his hand, Robin shot his channeled mana into the sky. He waited.

The sound of clashing metal rang through the air along with grunts from the Shepherds.

"…"

 _Uhh…I guess that wasn't -_

Robin's thought was interrupted by a loud crack of thunder and a bright flash that nearly blinded him. Heat washed over him and the smell of ozone filled the air.

"Oh. Guess that _was_ it."

Robin's vision returned to see a smoking crater where the bridge was originally placed with the river dried up around it. Smoke from both the lightning-caused crater and flash fried Risen rose into the air. From the other side of the river, the Shepherds were, needless to say, shocked. He slowly walked over to Chrom and the others. Frederick and Lissa were standing beside him, with the latter's mouth agape, and behind them were a few new-yet-still-somehow-old faces in the group.

There was a red-haired magician with spectacles on her face, Miriel, a dark-skinned muscular fighter sporting wild yellow hair, Vaike, a green armored knight with olive colored hair that looked like he just got out of bed, Stahl, a knight in pink armor and brown hair, Sumia, and another figure hiding behind Chrom that Robin couldn't really see.

Approaching the Shepherds, Robin said, "Hey", as if they were just casually meeting for lunch or something.

"Don't 'hey' me," Chrom huffed.

"Too late?" Robin smirked.

"What was that?"

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific than that."

"You know what I'm talking about, Robin," Chrom pointedly said, crossing his arms. "I'm talking about that giant lightning attack you just did."

Robin shrugged. "It's exactly as you said; a giant lightning attack."

At this, Chrom let out a loud groan and placed a hand over his face in exasperation, much to Robin's amusement.

"Glad to see you too, my friend," Robin grinned, looking at the rest of the Shepherds behind Chrom. "I see you've brought company."

The others were staring at Robin as if he magically appeared out of thin air from another world, which to be fair, wouldn't be entirely wrong.

"Ah, right. Everyone, meet Robin, the first amnesiac I found the other day." Chrom introduced Robin, but Robin was focusing on what Chrom just said, specifically, a single word.

 _'First'? He found another amnesiac?_

"Robin, meet a few other Shepherds: Sumia, Stahl, Miriel, Vaike…" Chrom continued, gesturing at each one respectively before stepping to the side revealing the person who was hiding behind Chrom the entire time.

Robin's world flipped upside down. The train of thought got derailed before was now back on track. He had traveled to a different world and time, so he had been wondering where and when he might meet his alternate self, and that question was now answered, only…not what he expected.

In front of Robin stood someone who was wearing the exact clothes as he was, from the same black cloak with purple marking and gold embroidery, to the leather boots, ash colored pants, and the same shirt. Even their hair color was the same. The only difference was…

"Robin, this is Reina, a fellow amnesiac. She was passed out on the ground just as you were," Chrom grinned.

Robin's alternate self was a female.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 **Doing some foreshadowing for both events in the short future and events in the far future (even events/chapters that aren't out at the time of this rewrite).**

 **Scrapped original A.N. because it's pretty irrelevant at this point.**

 **Rewritten: Dec 20th, 2018**


	8. (VIII) This Town Ain't Big Enough

**Hey everyone! Sorry for a slight delay in uploading this chapter. These longer chapters take some time to write out and I hit a bit of a writer's block earlier in the week. Ridiculous, right? Writer's block this early on into the story? That can't be a good sign. Hopefully it won't happen too often.**

 **There's a couple easter eggs from Dark Souls (once again) and a new one from the game, Bravely Default :)  
They're pretty big ones, so it won't be hard to miss if you're even somewhat familiar with the games.  
Oh, and a couple of TFS references too.**

 **Anyways, enough of that, and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The freezing wind howled through the trees. Light footprints marked the snow as Lucina marched onwards in the blizzard. Her cloak rippled in the wind, and she pulled her cloak tight around her in an attempt to keep warm.

 _I need to thank Robin for this cloak next I see him,_ Lucina noted.

Were it not for the cloak, Lucina would have most definitely suffered from frostbite. By her assumption, she was almost at Regna Ferox, with the sun just hovering over the horizon.

Letting out a foggy sigh, Lucina tightened her cloak around her and trudged forward through one last row of trees and saw her destination in sight.

The high walls of Regna Ferox's gateway loomed overhead with multiple guards marching back and forth on top.

A single question came into Lucina's head seeing the impenetrable walls.

"How do I enter the fort..?" she muttered under her breath.

As she approached the gates, she was spotted by one of the guards.

"Who goes there?!"

Lucina took a moment to deepen her voice before answering, "My name is Marth! I have come to represent the champion of the West-Khan Basilio!"

The guard disappeared behind the wall. Lucina stood in the cold, waiting.

After a minute or so, one who looked to be the commander of the guards appeared.

"You speak to Raimi, captain of the border guard!" Raimi bellowed. "You say you wish to be the champion representative of the Khan, then prove your mettle!"

Raimi raised an armored hand, signaling the soldiers below, and the gates slowly opened. A large man walked out, wearing something close to a loincloth. And nothing else. Just the loincloth.

"H-how…how shameless!"

Lucina's outburst was lost in the wind however, and her opponent drew a wooden club.

"Defeat this man, and you'll gain your audience!" Raimi continued. "There are little in the ways of rules; no underhanded tricks, and victory is yours once your opponent is either dead or yields!"

 _Well I guess I found out my way to enter the fort,_ Lucina thought, unsheathing her sword to face her opponent.

"My name is Marth, a traveler," Lucina said pointing her sword at the man.

The man laughed. "I lost my name a lifetime ago. Now I'm simply known as the 'Deprived'."

The Deprived stepped forward, his loincloth being lifted ever so slightly in the wind, revealing more than what Lucina wished to see.

"That kind of wear…is…" she muttered, staring at the ground.

"Hm? Speak up, lad. I fail to pick up your words!" The Deprived boomed.

"…is.."

Lucina glared at the man, who flinched at her intense gaze even from behind her mask.

"UNACCEPTABLE!"

* * *

Robin stared at his near-double, Reina, in disbelief. The cloak, patters, clothes; all of it was the same.

An image flashed in his head. A memory from a dream, in fact. A figure wearing the same cloak was standing before him while the world was razed to the ground. And if the person from his dream was the same person that was standing before him, then…

In a flash, Robin raised his arm at his double, his hand crackling dangerously with electricity. Reina moved at the same time and speed as Robin, her open palm in front of his face. Her eyes reflected the same animosity and malice as his own.

Chrom blinked, unsure of what just happened. He reached out his arm to calm the two down when both Robin and Reina both discharged their magic.

Their magic clashed against one another, and a small shockwave erupted between the two as lightning clashed against lightning. The two tacticians were thrown back, landing on their feet, a good 10 meters from each other.

"Robin, Reina! Calm down!" Chrom yelled.

The two ignored Chrom's words as they seemed to momentarily vanish from view. The two reappeared as a fist shrouded in lightning struck against a silver sword, causing a ripple in the air.

"Who are you," Robin growled.

"That's my line!" Reina responded, her voice tense.

Hitting Robin with a shoulder tackle, Reina went on the offensive as she swung her sword in a flurry of swings. Robin, in turn, enveloping his arms in lightning in order to meet her blows.

The other Shepherds watched in awe as their two newest members displayed skills unlike anything they'd ever seen. Stahl and Lissa weren't even able to follow their movements, Miriel cleaned her glasses as she watched intently, Vaike's jaw was on the floor, and Frederick had his eyes arched ever so slightly. Sumia just looked completely lost.

Reina's sword was nothing more than a blur as she made swing after swing at Robin, who deftly parried or dodged the swings by a hair's breadth before countering with his lightning-reinforced fists. Each time a fist and blade would connect, the crack of lightning would sound, and the grass around the two caught on fire due to the discharged electricity.

Robin was forced back as Reina managed to throw a kick under Robin's guard, hitting his chest. The combined force of her kick and magic sent the male tactician back, causing him to slide a great distance on his feet. The moment he started to slow down, however, he jumped high into the air. Holding his arm high, lightning cracked and started to take form in his open hand until he was holding a spear crafted from lightning.

Maybe it was from the incredible speeds he was moving at before, but Robin seemed to be floating in the air as he prepared to throw his spear. No, he didn't seem to be floating – he _was_ floating. Air could be seen swirling just below his feet, creating a small dense platform of air for him to stand on.

With a roar, Robin launched his lightning spear. Reina immediately stabbed her sword's blade into the ground and erected a barrier around her, protecting herself from Robin's attack.

The very ground and air shook as powerful magic was quite literally thrown around. A dust cloud formed around Reina's barrier and arcs of lightning traced through the air.

When the dust cleared, Reina was standing in her barrier, unharmed, as Robin slowly landed back on the ground.

Grabbing her sword, Reina's barrier was dispelled and she lunged at Robin. Robin surrounded his fist with lightning as he also rushed at Reina.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Chrom jumped in between the two who were at each other's throat. Blocking Reina's sword with Falchion, Chrom grabbed Robin's wrist, stopping the two in their tracks.

"Calm down, the both of you!" Chrom said through gritted teeth, looking at them in turn.

"Trust me, Chrom, I am. More than you'd know," Robin scowled, not taking his eyes off Reina.

"As am I," Reina said, her voice dangerously calm.

"Alright, fine. But you both need to put stop fighting for a second and tell me what's going on!" Chrom demanded.

"There is nothing to say, Chrom," Robin spat. "Only that this person here is to bring the world to ruin!"

"What?!" Reina cried out. "How dare you accuse me when you're the one that does it?"

"Don't lie to me!" Robin yelled, lightning once again coursing through his hand. "You appeared in my dreams and depicted the world on fire! And you were relishing in it!"

"What are you saying?! You're the one that came to me showing me a ruined world in - "

She stopped in mid-sentence, her eyes going wide in shock. Robin's did too as he realized what was going on here, and how they were being played for fools. The two stared at one another as they both understood each other.

Reina lowered her sword, and Robin relaxed his hand, his magical energy dissipating.

Chrom broke the silence. "I don't follow either of you right now. Ruined world? Dreams? What are you two going on about?"

Robin took a deep breath, looked over at the other Shepherds who looked to be horrified, then back at Chrom.

"Maybe we ought to speak of this elsewhere." Reina suggested, speaking what was in Robin's mind.

"Whatever you're to tell me, you can say in front of the Shepherds," Chrom said.

"Not about this one, Chrom." Robin said, shaking his head.

Chrom stared at Robin and Reina, seeing the deathly seriousness in their eyes.

"Fine," he exhaled. "Let's talk."

* * *

Robin and Reina both sat in one of the bedrooms of an inn. It was same inn that Robin was staying at just earlier in the day with Lucina.

"Before Chrom arrives," Robin started, "may I ask you a few things first?"

Reina nodded.

"The person that appeared in both of our dreams, he was wearing the same cloak as ours, but with the hood pulled up?" Robin asked.

"Yes."

"Dream started as a pleasant scene in a field which then turned into a disaster with cloaked figure appearing?"

"Yes."

Robin sighed. "The same person appears in both of our dreams and depicts the same world. That can't be a coincidence."

They sat in silence for a while, before Robin spoke again, "Don't tell Chrom yet, but there's a third person that traveled to the past."

"There is?" Reina looked up.

"His name is Marth," he continued. "I think Chrom already suspects that Marth came from the future, but I'm not too sure on that yet."

"Marth, as in the Hero-King of old?"

"Nope, just a namesake."

"Oh…" Reina said, looking slightly dejected.

"What do you remember of your previous world?"

"Previous world?" Reina tilted her head.

 _Right, I forgot. Currently, the only two people in the world that know that there's multiple timelines and worlds would be Lucina and I._

Robin explained everything about the concept of multiple worlds and timelines to Reina.

Reina said nothing as she listened carefully, mulling over what he was saying.

"That's quite the claim," she finally said.

"I know, but it's the truth."

Reina sighed. "Had not I traveled through time myself, and possibly another world while at it, and didn't meet you, I would not believe it."

"So you do believe what I'm saying then."

Reina put her hands on her temples, massaging them.

"To answer your earlier question," she said, "the last thing I remember is killing Chrom during our fight with Validar. Then someone was laughing as I lost focus. Next thing I know, I'm being woken up in a field by Chrom and the rest of the Shepherds that are travelling with us. We walk a few hours, meet those…things…"

"Risen."

"Yeah, Risen. That's what Chrom called them. We fight against those things, and then you show up with a giant blast of lightning."

"I see," Robin muttered.

"What about you? What was your experience like?" Reina asked.

"Same as yours, more or less. Fight with Validar, killing Chrom, waking up here with no memories." Robin said matter-of-factly.

"Wait, no memories?" Reina tilted her head.

"Yeah, I only regained them recently. Quite literally just before I met you guys," Robin said. "I thought that's also what happened to you since Chrom said that you were an amnesiac."

"No, I came here with all my memory intact. I just told Chrom that I was an amnesiac cause it's a hell of a lot easier explaining than that I'm from the future."

"Ha, you have a point there."

"It also helped out that Chrom found you, an actual amnesiac, before finding me, making my story all the more plausible," Reina grinned.

"I guess you owe me one." Robin joked.

"Hah! You wish. I could've played it off even without your unintentional help."

The two then laughed, as if they had been friends for a long time.

"There's one more thing that I need to ask you," Robin said as the laughter died down.

"What is it?"

"In your time, did Ylisse and Regna Ferox form an alliance to fight Gangrel, then the war against Valm, and then once more with Validar?"

Reina's expression darkened.

"Yes. The first spark of war was with the assassination of Exalt Emmeryn."

"Emm is going to be assassinated?!" A third voice, belonging to Chrom, interrupted the two.

Robin and Reina both looked over at Chrom, who just entered the room.

"Perfect timing," Robin said, smiling.

"What do you mean Emm's going to be assassinated?" Chrom ignored Robin's greeting and glared at Reina.

"Chrom, take a deep breath," she instructed. "The assassination attempt won't happen for another week, and it won't happen this time around."

" '…this time around'? What the hell is going on? You two make it seem like you're from the future!" Chrom exclaimed.

The time travelers said nothing, avoiding Chrom's gaze.

"Oh gods…you two _are_ from the future, aren't you…" Chrom muttered.

"It's exactly as you say," Robin said. "The two of us are from the future, though from two different ones."

"What do you mean?" Chrom asked quizzically.

Robin sighed, and explained the concept of parallel worlds and timelines again for the third time, though he greatly simplified it for both Chrom's sake as well as his.

"Hold up, you're losing me here," Chrom grumbled. "You're saying that you - " he pointed at Robin, "- are from Future World A, while Reina here - " he pointed at Reina, " – is from Future World B, and this is World C?

"That…is exactly what I just said." Robin replied.

 _Though there is one more future that Lucina came from that may or may not be this current world's future…_ Robin thought to himself.

"And you expect me to believe all this?" Chrom asked, bewildered.

"Something tells me that you already to believe us," Reina guessed.

Chrom paused before sighing, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, I do. I believed everything you said from the start." Chrom admitted. "I've witnessed the ground split apart, fire rain down from the sky, portals from another world opening up, and these Risen come out of nowhere and attack us all in the matter of a couple days. Not only that, every Shepherd here just saw the two of you fight with skill no one has ever seen before."

"It'll be a little more commonplace soon," Robin said.

"And that's what I fear," Chrom replied. "I was barely able to keep track of your movements in your little…scuffle earlier, and I don't think either of you were completely serious."

"We weren't," Reina muttered.

"Which makes it all the more scarier, since what you fought in the future was of equal strength, I presume." Chrom shook his head. "What kind of monsters do you guys fight in the future?"

"If it makes you feel any better, not everyone would fight like us." Reina pointed out. "Only a few of the Shepherds would match or near my skill in the future." She pointed at Chrom, "You and Lon'qu were the only two swordsmen that could best me in a spar."

"The same goes for my world." Robin added.

"Wait, who's Lon'qu?" Chrom scratched his head.

"Someone that you'll be meeting tomorrow, at Regna Ferox." Robin simply stated.

"What do you - " Chrom started, before the time travelers started pushing him out the door.

"Get some rest, prince." Robin grinned at Chrom's face of discomfort.

"Please don't use - "

" - any formalities with you, we know, my liege." Reina said, grinning evilly. "Just know that I didn't stop teasing you with your title in the future, and have no plans of stopping that running joke anytime soon. And I think the same could be said the same for Robin."

Chrom's face contorted into one of fear. He must have realized that he'll have to deal with not only one, but two people that will actively annoy him with their shared wit and sass.

"G'night, Your Highness!"

Robin shut the door behind him.

Reina burst out laughing. "I'm glad to know that we're alike despite being different people."

"Oh yeah, it'll be almost too much fun messing with the future Exalt." Robin grinned. "Though, with the both of us here, Emmeryn won't be assassinated, so I don't think Chrom will be taking the title of Exalt anytime soon."

The two sat back down.

"A few more topics came into mind while we were talking with Chrom," Robin said. "That's if you don't mind sharing."

Reina smiled warmly. "That would be nice. We can compare the differences in our worlds, however slight."

"Before we go any further on that," Robin put up a finger, listening to see if Chrom was still outside their door.

"Who did Chrom marry in your world?" He asked, once he was sure Chrom was gone.

"Olivia."

"DAMMIT!"

 _Well, Lucina, looks like you'll be having up to three, possibly four 'mothers', depending on how things go in this world._

 _ **Lucky for you, I'm the one that's jotting down all these mental notes in your head so that you don't forget anything.**_

 _Thank you again, me. Speaking of you…_

"Hey, Reina?"

"Hm?"

"This might sound insane, but…you wouldn't happen to have a voice in your head that replies to your thoughts…would you?" Robin asked hesitantly.

"Oh, thank Naga, I thought I was the only one!" Reina let out a sigh of relief. "I named my inner voice Reflet!"

"You…you named yours?"

"Yup! It makes it a LOT easier to differentiate the two of us while talking to each other."

"That- that's actually really smart." Robin mused.

 _ **Oh, so Reina names her voice Reflet, and they seem to be getting along swimmingly.**_

 _Don't you dare go there, me._

 _ **Where's my name, huh Robin? Don't I get a name?**_

 _You just threw that chance right out the window._

 _ **You know full well that you're going to cause yourself an insane amount of confusion with this, don't you. Giving me a name will save both of us the trouble.**_

 _Yup, I am well aware of that fact._

 _ **And you still won't give me a name becauuseeee…**_

 _Just out of spite._

 _ **I hate you.**_

 _Love you too, me._

* * *

"Hey, you're going to need this."

Robin tossed a thick cloak to Chrom.

The prince was taken aback, staring at Robin with a raised eyebrow. The Shepherds departed from the village an hour ago, and were on the road to Regna Ferox.

"Robin, it isn't nearly cold enough to put on a second layer of clothing, much less a heavy cloak."

"It's not to wear right now," Reina commented as she walked up to the two. "It's for when we near Regna Ferox."

"Exactly. The cold and wind up north is nothing like the weather in Ylisse." Robin put in.

Chrom eyed the two of them.

"I swear you two are like twins," he sighed.

"That's an oversimplification, and a wrong one at that." Robin grinned.

"Stop complaining, Captain," Reina chimed in. "Your handpicked warriors each already took one. Even Vaike!"

Chrom looked over at the rest of the Shepherds who each were holding a thick cloak in their arms. Sumia, Stahl and Miriel were already putting theirs in their respective bags. Vaike had his thrown over his shoulder, while Lissa had Frederick carry hers.

"Vaike, I thought you didn't wear anything other than what you already have on?" Chrom raised his voice in order to be heard.

"Teach figured he might as well honor the wish of his two new rivals!" Vaike laughed.

"Oh boy, I forgot he did that," Robin muttered under his breath.

The group marched for a while longer before Reina asked, "What did you tell the Shepherds about Robin and I?"

"Nothing about your…situation, if that's what you're wondering," Chrom replied.

Robin's brow furrowed as he scratched his cheek.

"What's wrong, Robin?" Chrom asked, noticing his friend's discomfort.

"Just thinking of how we're to break the ice to the rest of the Shepherds that we're time travelers."

"You're a smart person, Robin. I'm sure you'll figure something out," Reina smirked, before skipping ahead on the road.

 _YOU - ME! WHAT THE HELL!_

 _ **You**_ **cannot** _ **blame me on that one!**_

Robin could tell that his alter-self was laughing.

 _Why is it that everyone is saying that to me?!_

 _ **I know just as much as you do, unfortunately.**_

 _Still not giving you a name._

 _ **Oh, come on!**_

 _Main reason being because I have yet to think of one._

 _ **That sounds…reasonable. May I play a hand in deciding my own name?**_

 _Go for it._

 _ **How about….wow, this is actually a lot more difficult than I thought.**_

 _Welcome to my – hmm…_

 _ **You just thought of something, didn't you.**_

 _What do you think of the name, "Alternis"?_

 _ **I think you're going to flag Number for copyright issues…**_

 _What are you talking about?_

 _ **No idea...honestly. Anyways, how'd you come up with that name?**_

 _I'm thinking of putting the word 'Alternate' in there somehow._

 _ **Why 'alternate'?**_

 _Because we're both from an alternate world from this one, and you're an alternate ethereal form of me in my head._

 _ **Did you just call me ethereal?**_

 _Just take it as it is, me._

 _ **You're just jealous that you're not ethereal and can't punch people from the ether.**_

 _Oh gods dammit…_

Whilst Robin was on the verge of getting a migraine from his inner-self, Reina was having a lot better time with _Reflet._

 _I missed this,_ Reina "said".

 _ **Missed what?**_

 _This. Peace. We haven't had it for so long._

 _ **Hmm, that is true. We've been at war for so long and so often that it's been difficult to just relax like this.**_

 _Yup! Which is why I plan on enjoying these moments of peace as much as I can!_

 _ **Uhh, lemme think how many that is exactly.**_

 _Three! Sort of…_

 _ **There's the peace we have right now, one after Gangrel, and I guess the couple weeks of non-fighting after the war with Valm but before Validar?**_

 _Yup!_

 _ **Heh, that's one way to look at – oh hey, a bird!**_

 _Where?!_

 _ **Right there – EEK! IT'S HEADED STRAIGHT FOR US!**_

 _OW! My internal ears!_

 _ **Sorry…**_

 _It's okay. And the bird flew right over to Chrom._

 _ **Somehow, I'm a little jealous that a bird picked Chrom over us.**_

 _I'm with you on that one. Hold up, that's not just a bird, it's -_

"A messenger hawk?" Frederick spoke, appearing beside Chrom.

"Yeah, it's from Emm," Chrom stated, holding his arm out for the hawk to land on.

Landing on the extended arm, the hawk lifted its leg for Chrom to take the attached letter.

The rest of the Shepherds anxiously stood behind him, waiting for the prince to tell them the contents of the letter.

After reading over the letter multiple times, Chrom flipped it over to write a reply. Then he paused, realizing he didn't have anything to write with.

"Here, milord," Frederick handed him a quill already dipped in ink.

"Always at the ready, Frederick. Thank you," Chrom said with a small smile.

"I live to serve, milord," the knight aptly put.

"While you're at it, I highly suggest that south-west border have their security enforced," Robin casually said. The messenger hawk had flown over to his arm, staring at him with intelligent eyes. Lifting his arm, Robin lightly scratched the side of the hawk's neck, its eyes fluttering shut in bliss. "Plegian bandits will attack villages around there soon."

"If you say so," Chrom said, adding the last bit into the parchment.

"Milord!" Frederick protested.

"Frederick, I understand that you have justified suspicions about both Robin and Reina," Chrom finished his note, rolling it back up, "but their insight is one that should not be taken lightly."

Frederick looked miffed, but nodded at Chrom's words. Tying the letter to the hawk's foot, Chrom sent it away. With a screech, the hawk took off, heading south towards Ylisstol.

"Come on, don't leave us in the dark here!" Lissa said. "What did Emm say?"

Chrom smiled at Lissa, then to the Vaike, Stahl, and Miriel. Then he frowned, noticing that one was missing.

"Where's Sumia?" Chrom asked, looking around for the pink armored knight.

"I'm right here, Captain," a muffled voice said from the ground.

Sumia was sprawled on the ground and was in the process of picking herself up.

"Sumia! Are you alright?" Chrom worried.

"I-I'm fine," she replied, dusting herself off.

Chrom's brow furrowed slightly, before he continued, "Emm simply wished us a safe travel and for us to return safely."

"Aww, that's so sweet of her!" Lissa beamed.

"A direct order from the Exalt to return?" Vaike grinned. "I accept!

"I'm impressed you were able to comprehend that part of the message," Miriel stated, pushing her glasses up.

"Will there be food on the return?" Stahl asked. "I hope there'll be food."

A smile came to Robin's lips as he watched the Shepherds joke about.

"Alright, let's get moving!" Chrom clapped his hands together, and the group started walking again.

...

"Quite a nostalgic feeling, isn't it?"

Reina was walking alongside Robin in the front of the group, just out of earshot.

Robin nodded. "By the way, there's something that I've been curious about."

"You have a never-ending stream of questions, don't you." Reina shook her head.

"Might want to start getting used to it." Robin crossed his arms. "About our fight from earlier, first off I wish to apologize for attacking without any warning or attempt to talk."

Reina waved her hand. "Water under the bridge. Besides, I'm also to blame since I did the same."

"What got me curious is…" Robin looked at her sword, "…how did your sword not break under my hits? I've shattered countless weapons, including silver-tier ones, with no more than a couple attacks."

"Oh, that? It's something that I came up a while ago. I reinforced the blade's strength while also creating a small barrier around it to increase the durability."

To demonstrate, Reina unsheathed her sword. For a moment, her sword seemed to glow slightly before returning to normal, only with a near invisible barrier along the edges of the blade.

"I pretend as if my sword is a catalyst, not unlike how the clerics channel their mana into their staves, but I don't release my mana. Instead, I pour it into the sword instead of channeling. I guess it would be something like reinforcement magic."

"That's really interesting," Robin praised. "That's similar to what I did before by cloaking my sword with wind magic. Only, doing so twisted my sword into a coil, and it got lost."

Reina nodded. "That's what happened to me at first. I've gone through countless bronze swords trying to get this down. Too much mana into the weapon, and it'll shatter. Too little mana, and the blade gets warped, becoming unusable."

"I guess what I did was the latter," Robin murmured.

"Now it's my turn to ask you the same thing." Reina returned her sword into her scabbard. "How did you manage to cloak your hands in lightning?"

"Heh, just like you, it's something that I developed from my world," Robin recalled. "Can you conjure spells easily without the aid of tomes?"

"Sort of. I tend to get lightheaded if I do it too often though."

"Okay, that'll make it easier to explain then," Robin started. "Imagine that you're about to…"

The two continued to walk, trading knowledge with each other about their own personal skills.

...

"They're getting along swimmingly," Lissa pointed out, nudging Chrom's side.

"Almost as if they weren't at each other's throats yesterday," Chrom laughed.

"I know, right! But their fight was amazing!" Lissa exclaimed.

"That's one way to put it," Chrom said.

Chrom recalled the fight between the two time travelers. Just from seeing the fight, he could tell that they were strong. Strong enough, in fact, that just one of them alone would easily be able to handle the entire group of Shepherds alone.

First there was Reina. Her swordplay was unorthodox. Most sword styles would consist of thrusts like a rapier or swings like a broadsword. But hers seemed to be a combination of the two, with elements of more sword styles mixed in, all chaining together fluidly. He even recognized some of his own personal style in it, which was a style he came up with all on his own, which further added to his confusion.

Then there was Robin. Chrom didn't know much on his swordplay aside from the one brigand back in Southtown, and even that was barely anything. Robin had unsheathed his sword and cut off the brigand's head in a single movement before he moved onto using his magic, which was another thing in itself.  
Never before had Chrom seen someone so adept at tome-less magic. It was something that even veteran magicians would scarcely attempt due to the normal backlash and strain on their body. Yet Robin was able to call down devastating bolts of lightning, craft and throw a spear composed of lightning, and reinforce his own limbs with magic. Not to mention that he was seemingly able to fly, or at least float, in midair.

To top it all off, their physical attributes were off the charts. The two had moved around in speeds that Chrom was able to keep track of with his eyes only. He doubted that he'd be able to defend himself were one of them to fight him. It had taken all his strength to block their attacks, and his arms still felt sore from it.

"And they said that I surpass them in their time?" Chrom muttered under his breath.

"Hm? Did you say something, milord?" Frederick asked from behind him.

"It was nothing, Frederick," Chrom replied. "How far until Regna Ferox?"

"A couple hours walk away," Frederick informed.

"Alright, we'll rest here for a little while." Chrom said, much to the relief of his younger sister.

"Milord?"

"Not everyone has built enough stamina for prolonged walks as you are," Chrom said, gesturing to the others. "Miriel and Lissa especially look as if they're about to collapse."

"Very well. I shall then scout ahead for the time being," Frederick said, before walking off.

The other Shepherds quickly sat down (collapsed in Lissa's case), each taking out their respective food and drink. There seemed to be an extra bottle of water and food laid out, but Chrom paid it no mind.

"So, Robin, Reina," Lissa spoke up, her eyes shining with excitement. "How did you guys learn to fight like that yesterday?"

"I would also like to know of this," Miriel said, pushing her glasses up. "I am quite curious as to how the human body was able to move at such speeds and the manner of magic you two used."

Robin and Reina looked at each other momentarily, before Reina spoke up.

"I guess it was all a matter of experience. Years of it, at that."

"Interesting. Maybe the body can be tempered to undergo such strains? I will need to further look into that," Miriel theorized.

 _Did…did her glasses just…gleam?_ Robin thought.

"As for the magic, all I did was perform a simple barrier using my sword as the catalyst," Reina explained.

"A weapon being used as a catalyst for magic?" Miriel remarked. "Fascinating. I would have never attempted to use nothing other than a tome and staff as a catalyst."

Taking out a book from her robe, she scribbled everything down.

"And you, Robin? I am very interested in your tomeless magic," Miriel asked, not looking up from her book.

Robin scratched the back of his head. "Which one do you want to know about?"

"All of them."

"That's quite a bit to talk about," Robin muttered. "For starters, the initial lightning against the Risen was just on a whim. I can't really explain how I did that other than the fact that I shot a bit of focused mana into the sky while focusing on the Risen.  
The lightning spear that I threw at Reina's barrier is a variation of the Thoron tome magic, just a lot more concentrated and compressed, hence, has a slightly more devastating effect. I found a book a couple years ago that went into the legends during the Age of Fire. One of them, in particular, was about one of the First Lords who wielded powerful spears of lightning, which was then passed onto his firstborn son, who unfortunately, was exiled by said Lord. That's where I first got the idea. At first, the spell was pathetically weak, but then I fashioned it around the Thunder tomes, and it progressed to what it is now." He paused momentarily, giving time for Miriel to write everything down.

"Hold on," Chrom cut in. "The Age of Fire? First Lords? I've never heard of this."

"I'm not surprised. The Age of Fire was eons before our time." Robin shrugged.

"What happened to the Lords and the Age of Fire?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know much of that since there was nearly nothing left about the Age of Fire. All I could find was that a nameless warrior was said to have conquered death itself, undying, killed all of the old Lords."

"That's quite the tale, Robin." Reina said, leaning back.

"Not much in length, however," he replied. "Now, I'd love to continue, but I'm afraid our tireless knight has returned." Robin pointed over his shoulder at an approaching Frederick.

"Awwww," Lissa groaned, not wanting to get up.

"I'll tell you some more tales and legends later, Lissa," Robin said, "only if you promise not to stuff that frog down my coat."

"Eh? W-what frog?" Lissa innocently smiled as she hastily hid her hands behind her back.

Robin grinned. "Oh, and before I forget," he looked to Miriel and Reina, "there's something I wish to try out once we're back in Ylisstol, so can one of you remind me once we get back?"

"Uh…sure?" Reina replied.

"Thanks. Trust me, if this goes well, you won't you regret it. Especially you, Miriel."

That caught Miriel's interest as a her eyes gleamed.

 _I never did get used to that gleam in her eyes and her glasses._

* * *

The Shepherds continued on their path and came to a field.

 _And I believe this is where Sumia –_

"Hey! Is that what I think it is?" Lissa called out.

"It's a pegasus, all right." Chrom said.

"Well, thank you for telling us that it's a pegasus, Chrom." Robin smirked. "We never would have guessed by looking at it and its marvelous wings."

"I will end you," Chrom warned.

"Seven hundred and eighty three." Robin said.

"Excuse you?"

"Oh, don't mind me." Robin smiled maliciously. "I'm just counting the number of times you've made death threats at me."

"Dammit! You're ahead of me!" Reina cursed.

"You've been keeping track of the amount of death threats received by Chrom too, haven't you." Robin guessed.

"That's right!" Reina laughed. "I was wondering if you would also do that seeing how we're the - "

Reina stopped herself catching Robin's eye. She almost forgot that the others didn't know the truth about her and Robin.

"I will end you both," Chrom groaned.

"Seven hundred and eighty four." "Six hundred and fifty nine." Robin and Reina counted in unison.

"Wait, you two have only known Chrom for a couple days," Lissa pointed out. "How is that number so high already?"

"It's a long and confusing story, but the three of us go waaaay back." Reina hastily explained.

"Whu – "

"KYAA!"

The party turned around to see Sumia trip over her feet and fall forward once again. Thankfully, Frederick was close behind Sumia and was able to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Are you alright, milady?" Frederick asked.

"Y-yes. T-thank you, Frederick," Sumia stuttered.

Robin caught a glimpse of Sumia's cheeks turning pink.

 _Oh? Could this be the start of Sumia and Frederick's relationship?_

 _ **Or it could be Sumia just being embarrassed from tripping over nothing. Again.**_

 _Let me dream, me._

 _ **I thought I was Alternis?**_

 _I'm still thinking on that._

* * *

"Vaike, Stahl! Take down the archers on the west wall!"

"Kellam, Miriel, make sure they get there safely!"

"Sumia, fly low and help Chrom and Frederick defend the front!"

The two tacticians called out orders to the Shepherds against the Feroxian border guard. Their attempt to talk their way inside had failed, just as it did in Robin's time, and now they had to fight their way in, and were currently just outside the gates.

"I just realized," Reina said to Robin over the fighting, "we could have shown Raimi the Brand of the Exalt on Chrom's shoulder as proof."

"Wow. How did neither of us think of that before?"

"Haha, oh well," Reina laughed. "At least this way, they all get some combat experience."

"That's true," Robin agreed, as he shot a bolt of lightning at an oncoming knight.

Robin had to hold back in order to not kill their opponents, which was proving to be a bit more difficult than expected.

"Kellam, Vaike, Stahl! Regroup!" Reina yelled.

Robin looked to see the last archer on the wall collapse to the floor even though no one seemed to be around him. Then he noticed Kellam had hit the archer on the end with the butt of his spear. The three Shepherds nodded and started making their way back.

"Come on, let's join the fight," Reina chided, running towards the front where Chrom and Sumia were fighting off half a dozen swordsmen. Frederick was a few meters behind them behind healed by Lissa.

Robin took a step forward before stopping.

 _It'd be a lot faster if I jump over the wall and take down the guards posted on the inside of the wall..._

"Robin?" Kellam asked as he ran by.

"Join the others. I'll do my own thing," Robin said.

Kellam said something else, but Robin had already jumped, using wind magic to help propel his jump.

Easily clearing the twenty meter high wall, Robin landed inside the fort, landing in the middle of a group of surprised Feroxian guards.

"Hey there," Robin grinned.

Robin slammed his palm onto ground, causing pillars of lightning to spread out around him, electrocuting the knights clad in metal armor. Each one of them fell to the ground, their armor charred black in multiple areas.

Robin looked around to see two swordsmen approaching him from both sides, and the border guard captain, Raimi, a few meters in front of him.

"Greetings," Robin casually said as he extended his arms to his sides, sending a bolt of electricity at the swordsmen, downing them both simultaneously.

He pulled the lever to open the gates before turning around and walked over to Raimi.

"Who are you," Raimi glared, raising her spear.

"Just a tactician to the Shepherds of Ylisse," he answered.

"What kind of tactician fights on the front lines?"

"One who's confident in his victory," Robin grinned.

The rest of the Shepherds made their way inside the fort. Seeing the ground littered with fallen guards and their tactician standing in front of one more, they walked forward.

"Allow me to once again, introduce you to Chrom, Prince of Ylisse," Robin said, as he stepped back, gesturing to Chrom.

Raimi's face paled as she saw Chrom's shoulder.

"A thousand apologies, Prince Chrom!" Raimi bowed.

"No worries," Chrom waved his hand. "All we request is an audience with the Khans."

"Of course! I will send word of your arrival and escort you immediately!"

"That would be most appreciated, thank you."

Raimi spun on her heel before opening the gates leading into Regna Ferox, with the Shepherds in tow.

Walking forward, Robin spotted a piece of…

 _A loincloth? How and why did that end up here?_

In the distance, in one of Regna Ferox's waiting rooms, Lucina sneezed.

* * *

"Refresh my memory, how did we end up fighting in this arena again?"

Robin was standing alongside Chrom, Reina, Frederick, and Vaike on one side of Regna Ferox's arena, which was creatively named, Arena Ferox.

"Because Chrom here decided that we should fight for the East-Khan to get an alliance," Reina answered, shooting a glare at Chrom.

"It was the only option!" Chrom argued.

Robin groaned. Their opponents started filing in on the opposite side of the arena.

"Hey, how long until the fighting starts?" Robin asked, eyeing the last opponent to enter in blue armor with a mask.

"Not for another few minutes," Frederick replied.

"Great, I'll be right back."

"Robin, where are you going?" Chrom called out, but ignoring the prince, Robin walked forward to the blue armored fighter.

The other fighters, a mage, two knights with spears, a swordsman, and a fighter, eyed the tactician warily, tightening their grip on their weapons.

"Hey," Robin casually said as he approached Lucina.

"Pleasure seeing you well, Robin," Lucina greeted.

"Likewise, Lu- Marth," Robin almost let slip Lucina's name, temporarily forgetting that she was going around as "Marth" for the time being. "I hope that my parting gifts were useful?"

"Yes, they were," Lucina replied, smiling lightly, "the cloak especially in this absurd weather."

"That's good to hear. Listen, seeing how the fight is about to start, there isn't much time. So, after the fight is done, would you mind meeting me by the southern hall's guest room, the last one on the left?"

"Of course," Lucina agreed.

"Alright! I'll see you after the match!" Robin grinned before jogging back to the Shepherds.

"What was that about?" Chrom asked as Robin returned.

"Nothing much," Robin said.

"You can't tell me that you crossed the entire arena to talk to our mysterious opponent about 'nothing much', Robin." Chrom grumbled.

"I just did."

"Dammit, Robin…"

Reina let out a small laugh before a booming voice rang through the arena.

"Feroxians, Ylisseans, Plegians, and anyone else that is sitting in the arena! Welcome!"

A tall, dark skinned man stepped out onto a platform overlooking the arena.

"I forgot how loud that oaf can be," Robin mumbled, his ears ringing.

"As you know, I am Basilio, Khan of the West," Basilio bellowed, "and this here's Flavia, Khan of the East!"

A dark skinned woman with golden hair walked forward, her red and white armor shining.

"Fighters! The rules are simple!" Flavia addressed those in the arena. "If you step out of bounds, you are disqualified! Yield, and you're disqualified! Die, and obviously you're disqualified! The match ends once one side has no more fighters available!"

The crowd's cheer was deafening.

"Five of us, and six of them," Robin said under his breath. "Vaike, you're with me! We'll take the two knights and the mage on the right! Reina and Frederick, the swordsman and fighter are yours!" Robin had to shout to make himself heard.

"I suppose I'll fight Marth then?" Chrom asked.

"Correct," Robin replied. "I've a feeling that he wants to fight you alone, and so do you, so we'll make sure you get your duel."

Chrom nodded. "You have my thanks, Robin."

"BEGIN!" Basilio's voice boomed once more with the crowd's cheers drowning out his voice right after.

Robin and Vaike ran to the left where the two armored knights slammed their shields together, creating a wall made of metal. A fireball appeared from behind them, heading for the Vaike.

 _Not that bad of a strategy._

Vaike ducked, narrowly avoiding the fireball, and continued running.

"ORRYAAAAAA!" Vaike yelled, bringing his axe down on the shield wall. The wall crumpled like paper under Vaike's blow, sending the knights crashing to the ground. The mage sent another fireball at Vaike, only to have it extinguished by a gust of wind from Robin.

"You want some?!" Vaike roared, swinging his axe down on one of the knights.

"YIELD!" The knight shrieked in terror.

Vaike's axe slammed into the ground just next to the knights cowering face.

"Humph, that's was boring," Vaike said, raising his axe at the second knight, who was now on his feet. "The Teach's class is now in session!"

The knight thrust his spear at Vaike, who easily stepped to the side, dodging the spear. He then grabbed the spear's shaft, preventing the knight from recovering, and brought his axe down, breaking the spear in two.

"Rule One of Teach's lesson! Don't mess with the Teach!"

Vaike threw his share of the broken spear aside and he slowly walked over to the knight.

"Rule Two of Teach's lesson!" he continued, as the knight charged with his shield in an attempt to slam into Vaike.

"Don't MESS with the TEACH!" Vaike yelled, as he punched the knight's shield. His fist dented the shield, causing the knight to stagger back.

"Rule Three!" Vaike raised his axe, "Repeat the previous rules!"

The knight brought up his shield, but Vaike's axe cut through the shield like paper, embedding itself halfway into the knight's shoulder. Screaming in agony, the knight dropped to the floor before passing out.

"Class dismissed," Vaike exhaled. "Oi, Robin, you done yet?" he yelled, looking around. He spotted Robin sitting down next to a terrified looking mage.

"With time to spare," Robin grinned.

"What'ya do to the poor bloke?" Vaike frowned.

"Eh, nothing much," Robin shrugged. "Just showed him the potential of how powerful magic can be." He looked to the center of the arena. "Wanna watch the fight between Chrom and Marth with us?"

"I'll take you up on that offer," Vaike laughed, taking a seat next to Robin.

 _Lucina is definitely the better fighter,_ Robin confirmed as he silently watched the duel. _A_ _nd yet she doesn't seem to be gaining any ground._ He shook his head. _Her quick attacks should be able to get through Chrom's defense since he doesn't have as much dexterity with a sword yet, so why is she having so much trouble against_ – Robin noticed Lucina's expression under her mask. _Oh…I get it now._

Robin laughed to himself. How could he not have gotten it before?

* * *

 _Was Father always this weak?_ Lucina thought to herself as she redirected another blow from Chrom.

Chrom had a lot more physical strength than Lucina, and she was well aware of that. She wouldn't be able to lock blades with him without the risk of having her guard broken, so she would make sure to parry the blows instead. Thankfully, she was well versed in this regard since many of her opponents were stronger than her. But where she lacked in strength, she made up with agility.

It also helped that she was very familiar with her father's skill set, while the same couldn't be said for Chrom. Lucina's sword style was based off of Chrom's but with variations in it to better suit her lighter build.

And yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to fight as hard as she could against Chrom.

"Tell me – who taught you to fight like that?" Chrom jumped back, creating distance between the two.

Lucina's heart panged hearing his words. She was grateful for her mask as she fought back tears from her eyes. She raised her sword, leveling it at her father.

* * *

Chrom's mind was in disarray. Marth's sword, his footwork, and style all seemed so similar to his own, but at the same time, completely different. He never taught anyone about his swordplay seeing how he was still developing it. So how is it that Marth knew the exact pattern and where he would attack?

Lost in his thoughts, he barely avoided a swing that would have sliced his gut open by jumping back.

"Tell me – who taught you to fight like that?" Chrom asked, using the slight bit of breathing room he created to ask the question on his mind.

Marth gave no reply aside from raising her sword at Chrom.

 _So that's how it's going to be?_

"HaaaAAAA!"

Chrom lunged, bringing his sword in a feint at Marth's shoulder before swinging his sword the opposite way, aimed at his side. His attack was easily deflected by Marth, who redirected his strength of this swing onto the ground.

 _Dammit, again! He knew it was going to be a feint the moment I started my swing!_

Marth pushed in, forcing Chrom back a few steps with a flurry of blows. Then he vanished from Chrom's sight.

 _Where – CRAP!_

Marth had ducked low, sliding past Chrom while swinging at the prince's ankles.

Chrom stabbed his blade into the ground, just barely blocking the attack before slamming his sword down at Marth. His attack was dodged however, as Marth rolled away, and Chrom's sword hit the ground. A cloud of dust erupted from the point of impact which acted as a smokescreen.

When the dust cleared, Marth was nowhere to be seen again. Chrom quickly looked around, and noticed Robin looking up.

 _Don't tell me…_

Chrom above him just in to see a descending Marth. Just as Chrom did to open up the fight, Marth used the momentum from his swing to spin.

 _Centrifugal force! That's another one of my moves!_

Chrom brought up Falchion just in time to defend himself against the heavy attack from Marth. His knees buckled under the force, but Chrom managed to stay on his feet.

"It was my father!" Marth said through gritted teeth.

* * *

 _Dammit, Lucina._

Robin slapped his forehead as he heard Lucina/Marth's outburst.

 _You might as well tell him that you're his daughter._

The other Shepherds all finished their matches without much trouble. They all sat down in a small group around Robin, giving the remaining fighters a wide berth.

 _I hope Chrom's obliviousness won't go away any time soon,_ Robin prayed in his head.

* * *

 _I shouldn't have said that, I shouldn't have said that._

Lucina repeatedly kicked herself mentally. Why did she say something that was so obvious that Chrom is her father?

She risked a glance over at Robin who was holding his head in his hand, which further giving the implication that she made a pretty big error on her part.

That glance caused a moment of hesitation in Lucina's movements which Chrom did not let go unnoticed.

Pushing in, Chrom forced Lucina to be on the defensive as he attacked with a flurry of attacks. Despite having been slightly off guard, Lucina was still able to fend off all of his attacks; partially due to her ability to read her opponent's move and partially due to the fact that she knew her father's moves. She was well aware that the rest of the Shepherds won their fights and were all watching the last fight in the arena.

Lucina spotted characters that were seen as heroes and legends in her time; up in the stands sat Aunt Lissa, who sacrificed herself to buy time allowing an entire village to escape, Lady Miriel, who rained down fire on an army of Risen relentlessly until her dying breath, Sir Stahl, who wouldn't allow a single Risen to near his wife, Miriel as she would channel her magic, Sir Kellam, the invisible shield of the Shepherds, and Lady Sumia, who defended Ylisstol's entrance gates alone, allowing the citizens to retreat into the inner wall.

In the arena sat Sir Vaike, whose strength was unmatched as he took down a colossal Risen with his bare hands, Sir Frederick, who bravely led a small band of fighters against an innumerable onslaught of Risen.

Then there was Chrom, Exalt of Ylisse, who commanded the small band of elite fighters that were unmatched across the land and the grandmaster tactician Robin, the genius tactician of the Shepherds and right hand of the Exalt, whose strategies and tactics won them victories that were thought to be impossible.

But sitting just next to Robin was a woman who Lucina never saw before –

Lucina froze as she realized that this woman was nearly identical to Robin aside from their facial features and gender. She saw Chrom swinging his sword from her peripherals and brought her own sword up to block, but with her concentration broken, Chrom broke through her guard, sending her sprawling to the ground.

"It's over."

She heard her father panting heavily as he said those two words, the tip of his Falchion hovering above her neck.

"I yield," Lucina coughed, not forgetting to deepen her voice.

Rising to her feet, she heard the crowd's roar all around her, shouting words of praise at the match, but it all sounded so far away. She sheathed Falchion and started walking toward the doorway she came from when her father called out to her.

"Marth, a word?"

Lucina hesitated, before slowly turning around to face her father.

"Yes?" Her voice sounded tense and a little hostile as she looked at him.

Chrom scratched the back of his head, a sign that he was nervous and a trait that he picked up from Robin before he spoke again.

"It may not be my place to ask this, but who is your father? Your style is strikingly similar to mine, so I wish to know who it was that taught you."

"His identity matters not," Lucina curtly replied.

Chrom looked a little miffed at her answer.

"Even if I were to tell you, it would be impossible for you to meet him for he died when I was but a child," she continued.

Chrom took a step back. "I'm sorry – I didn't mean to - " Chrom stuttered, before taking a deep breath. "I know the pain of losing your father as a child," he softly said. "I know the emptiness in the words of those that give you their condolences because they don't know your pain." Chrom stared into her eyes. "But for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Lucina said nothing as her throat welled up in emotion. Simply lowering her head in a nodding gesture, she turned and walked towards the exit, forcing herself not to run and fighting back a stream of tears. She continued walking, ignoring everyone around her as her body was on autopilot, making its way to the guest room that Robin told her about. Quickly entering, she shut the door behind her and took off her mask. Then at once, her emotions spilled out and tears rushed down her face as she slowly slid down the door and onto the ground.

Gods, why was it so difficult and painful? She had promised herself to stay strong no matter the circumstances, but twice she already failed. Lucina constantly told herself time and time again that the Chrom in this world was not her father, and yet, why? Why was it that the man she had just fought carried himself the same way as hers did? Why was it that his moves weren't just a carbon copy of her father's moves? And why was it that when he looked at her, it was with the exact eyes as her father?

Lucina finally accepted the fact that the Chrom in this world was indeed her father. When he looked at her the final time, his eyes were filled with pain, grief, sympathy, and compassion altogether. She sat alone in the dark room as she wept tears of both sorrow and joy. Seeing her father alive again was nothing more than a dream she had, and yet it came true. She wanted nothing more than to leap into her father's arms, to embrace him, but she knew she couldn't. Doing so would greatly risk the Lucina of this world not being born and change the events that were to come.

For a moment, a single brief moment, she wasn't in Arena Ferox's guest room. Memories from her past all flashed in her head.

She was a child watching the torn Shepherds return from Plegia as her mother handed her Falchion. She was a young girl as she was forcefully carried away as her mother and a couple other Shepherds defended Ylisstol's inner gate from an unstoppable assault of Risen. She was a teenager as she was forced to carry the burden of leading her people against the Risen. She was a young adult as she watched her friends fall one by one to a figure shrouded in darkness, its red eyes glowing through the darkness. She was who she was now, defending a portal and her last and only hope with eleven others. Then she was a young girl again, wanting nothing more than to run into her father's warm embrace.

A knock sounded on the door.

"Lucina?" Robin's muffled voice came through the door.

Lucina tried to stifle her sobs as she wiped away her tears.

"Lucina, I can come by another time if you wish," Robin softly said.

"No, i-it's okay," Lucina replied as she got up to open the door.

The moment Robin saw her, his face turned into one of concern.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize how difficult it would be for you to fight against Chrom," Robin apologized. "I'm sorry."

Lucina shook her head. "No, please don't be sorry. I'm actually happy that I was able to fight him myself." She forced a smile.

Robin looked at her, obviously seeing through her smile, but said nothing.

"What I wanted to talk to you about was - " Robin stopped, looking down the hall. "Uhh…"

Lucina realized that he was still standing outside in the hallway.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't realize – come in!" Lucina stepped aside.

"Ahahaha, no worries," Robin laughed as he entered the room. Closing the door, he continued, "what I wanted to talk about is the fact that there's another time and world traveler." He walked across the room and sat down on a bed.

"Another?!"

"Mhmm. I'm sure you've noticed the woman in the arena that was wearing a robe such as mine." Robin asked.

Lucina nodded, recalling the white haired woman.

"That would be Reina, and is an alternate version of me from another world."

"Alternate version?" Lucina looked dumbfounded as she slowly sat down next to Robin.

"Yup."

"The you of another world is a female?"

"Correct. I didn't think it was possible seeing how no one else was a different gender, but it happened."

For a moment, silence hung in the air.

"Pfft…"

"Hmm?" Robin slightly tilted his head in confusion.

"Aha…ahahahaha!" Lucina started to laugh as if the tears from earlier never happened.

"Wait, first you're crying and now you're laughing?" Robin's head was spinning.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it!" Lucina said between laughs. "It's just…the fact that you're a female in a different world is so strange that I can't help but laugh!"

Lucina doubled over, clutching her stomach as her laughter filled the room.

...

"My cheeks hurt," Lucina complained as she rubbed her cheeks.

"That is all on you," Robin replied.

"It's not my fault that you're a woman in an alternate world," she retorted, grinning again.

Robin let out a sigh of exasperation. "So, what will you do now?"

"I'm not sure as of yet," Lucina frowned. She hadn't thought too far ahead on what to do after Regna Ferox.

"If so, why not aid us in preventing Emmeryn's assassination?" Robin suggested.

"That isn't until another week though."

"Which also means that there's only one more week left until the assassination attempt on the Exalt's life," Robin said. "We don't know how many assassins there are, or even where they entered from, which is why we need all the time we can get to prevent this."

"You raise a valid point, Robin," Lucina said.

"I always do," he grinned.

"Very well," Lucina sighed. "I will do what I can."

"Perfect! That makes three of us to prevent the assassination!" Robin exclaimed.

"Three?"

"Yup; you, me, and Reina." Robin counted off on his fingers. "After all, she is from the future just like you and I."

"That's right…"

"She's also a tactician like me, so it'll be like two me's and you working together."

"Why is it two of you and not two of me?" A new voice asked.

"And speak of the devil," Robin sighed.

Lucina looked in the direction of the voice in surprise to see the woman she saw earlier in the arena. The woman could very well be Robin's twin sister. Then the image changed. She was staring at a hooded figure, glowing in a dark purple magic that felt all too familiar. The magic swirled around the person like a fluid energy, making it difficult to discern the identity of the person or even the clothes that were being worn. The energy enveloped the figure. A pair of red eyes gleamed through the swirling magic.

The dark figure cackled. "It's been a while, little princess." The voice sounded like a knife scraping against metal.

"GRIMA!"

In an instant, Lucina drew her blade ran her blade through Grima's chest.

"LUCINA!"

Lucina blinked as her vision returned to normal, staring into a pair of hazel eyes.

"Oh gods…no…"

Grima was gone and in her hands was Falchion. The blade was buried in the chest of a woman that she had met just a second ago.

"Gods…no…I'm didn't…I'm so sorry…" Lucina quickly pulled Falchion out from Reina's chest.

Reina coughed, blood spewing out of her mouth. Her legs gave out and she collapsed. Lucina dropped to her knees, holding Reina's body in her arms, tears streaming down her face.

"It's alright…" Reina quietly said, taking Lucina's hand giving it a comforting squeeze. She smiled at the princess, as if she was welcoming death from her hands.

"No…no no no…please no…" Lucina sobbed, as she tightly held onto Reina's hand. "I'm s-sorry…I didn't mean to…"

Reina gave Lucina's hand another squeeze. "It's…it's alright," she muttered once more.

Then Reina's hand slipped from Lucina's grip, falling to the floor.

* * *

 **Heh heh heh heh heh heh...**

 **Also, I figured I might as well reply to some comments/reviews seeing how there's not much of an ending A.N.**

 **\- L2X: if I managed to confuse you with all the timeline stuff and multiple worlds, then I'm pleased. I purposefully tried to explain it in a way that'll give readers a general idea of how it works while still making it seem weird and confusing :)**

 **\- , LegacySoldier: it's great to know that you're enjoying the story. It's quite a big morale boost to hear/read. Special thanks to the both of you since you two have been here since practically the start of the story and cheered me on in a way.**

 **\- Zero kami no mu: Pairings? Umm, seeing how stats really won't be a factor in this story, I honestly might just go on the Hubba Tester and see what happens. That or just try and pair people up for a close to the "canon" hair color child pairings. I know "canon pairings" aren't a thing (except maybe Chrom!Sumia cause they're shown in the intro cutscene), so the child having a hair color as close to their official artwork will most likely be the pairings.  
Of course, some will be practically impossible such as Gerome's pink hair or Nah's green hair but...we'll see what happens.  
I might even ask you readers for the pairings and go off of that.**

 **\- Rankin de Merthyr: two Morgans? Shhhh...**

 **\- potatoman98: Alter-Robin and Robin conversations are definitely some of my favorite things to write out. As for the mood of the story, I try to not go so dark or into the serious side of things. Of course, as you said, some parts will have to be serious such as the beginning where Robin kills Chrom and whatnot, and some mental/emotional breakdowns of characters, but other than that, I try to keep things light.  
As for the light elemental magic? I'm definitely planning on having that in the story, but I just need to find a good way to bring it in aside from Robin randomly finding it.**

 **And that's it for now, I'll see you lovely people in the next one! (and maybe an update on this answering thing I just did above)**


	9. (IX) Or Maybe It Is

Night had fallen. The last rays of sunlight vanished, and the moon shone brightly overhead, dimly illuminating a lone princess in the woods. She was resting on a hammock, hanging between two thick branches Ylisse's warm wind caused the hammock to swing slightly.

A mass of guilt formed in her chest as Lucina recalled her actions from the previous day. She had attacked Reina, nearly killing her. There was no way around that fact. She could still remember feeling of her sword meeting a bit of resistance as it pierced through Reina's chest, the weight of her body as Lucina held Reina in her arms, and the warmth of Reina's hands.

Thanks to Robin's quick actions, Reina's wound was bandaged, but she was still very much in danger of dying when Robin left to get Lissa. There wouldn't be nearly enough time for Robin to grab a healer and return. Knowing this, Lucina reached out and grabbed Falchion which she tossed away in a panic, and held it over Reina's body.

Lucina had been wounded countless times in the past, and she eventually learned how to tap into a portion of Falchion's sealed power. Though it wasn't as potent as a healer's staff, she able to use Falchion to heal wounds, saving her life more than a few times.

A light blue glow surrounded Falchion's tear shaped guard, and it slowly spread to cover the entire length of the sword. The same glow surrounded Reina, slowing closing the wound to less than half the size it was before, and the blood stopped flowing out from it.

"Thank you…Lucina…"

Lucina gasped, quickly looking at Reina's face. Reina's eyes flickered opened, and she gave Lucina a weak smile.

"I'm so sorry," Lucina sobbed.

"Shh…it's alright…"Reina coaxed.

Reina extended her arm in an attempt to wipe away Lucina's tears, but she didn't have enough energy as her hand started to fall. Lucina quickly grabbed onto Reina's hand, gripping it tightly.

"The ground…not comfortable…at all…" Reina weakly said. "Bed's…much comfier…"

Lucina turned her head to look at the bed across the room before looking back at Reina. In such a weak state, moving Reina would most definitely open the wound that she partially closed.

"I'll be…fine…" Reina assured her, noticing Lucina's worries. "I'm…a lot more…durable…than you…think…"

Lucina hesitated before nodding. Slowly, she picked up Reina's limp body. Reina was lighter and thinner than Lucina expected under the loose coat. Reaching the bed, Lucina carefully set her down.

"Thank you..." Reina smiled at Lucina. "I think…I'll go to sleep…for a bit…" She said, closing her eyes.

Lucina closed her own eyes as well. Opening them, she was no longer in the Arena Ferox's guest room, but under a multitude of branches and leaves under a warm night sky. Swaying under the branches, Lucina stared at the moon above, closing her eyes once more, and falling asleep soon after.

* * *

|/\| 11 hours ago, back in the south-wing guest room of Arena Ferox |\/|

"Why is it two of you and not two of me?"

"And speak of the devil," Robin sighed, recognizing who the voice belonged to before he even looked.

Robin and Lucina were talking of how they were going to work to save Emmeryn in the coming week when Reina entered the room. For a fraction of a second, Robin thought he saw a shadow hovering over Reina, but it vanished as quickly as it came. He passed it off as him seeing things.

 _I might as well use this opportunity to introduce the two of them to each other,_ Robin thought.

"Lucina, I'd like you to meet…Lucina? Are you alright?" Robin asked.

Lucina's usually calm eyes were wild, with her pupils dilated. They looked almost as if they were glazed over, with a small red glow in the usual cerulean blue. Then she crossed the room in an instant, drawing Falchion and plunging the blade into Reina's chest before either of the tacticians realized what was going on.

"Wha – LUCINA!" Robin screamed.

Lucina blinked, her eyes returning to normal before widening in shock.

"Oh gods…no…" she muttered.

Robin couldn't move. Every fiber of his being was telling him to move yet his body refused to obey as he helplessly watched Reina collapse to the floor.

 _Move…move gods dammit, MOVE!_

His body remained rooted to the spot. Reina was holding onto Lucina's hand as she whispered something to the princess, then her hand fell to the floor.

For a second, Robin wasn't seeing Reina on the floor, but his own body as blood poured from the open wound. Then his vision returned to normal.

"REINA!"

Robin's body finally broke free of its paralysis and he ran over to her side.

"Oh gods…"

Blood was profusely pouring out of the wound, creating a small red pool on the floor.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Lucina was staring at her hands that were slick with Reina's blood, quietly repeating those words.

 _Dammit!_ Robin's fist slammed into the floor. _Alright, calm down, Robin. Make haste, but don't hurry._

He took a deep breath as he collected his thoughts.

"Lucina, I'm going to need your help for this," Robin said, taking off his coat.

Lucina took a shaky breath as she nodded.

After a tense minute, Reina's coat was taken off with Robin's coat being used as a makeshift bandage in an attempt to slow the bleeding.

Robin rose to his feet. "Lucina, stay here and apply pressure onto the wound. I'll be right back with Lissa," he said as opened the door, sprinting down the hall.

 _Shit, this is NOT the time to get lost! Where are the others?!_ Robin screamed in his head as he ran down a labyrinth of hallways.

 _ **A guard just walked across the hall behind us to the left. Maybe he'll know where they are.**_

Robin immediately turned on his heel, sprinting down the hall that _Alter-Robin_ mentioned. Just as he said, there was a guard in Feroxian armor colors stationed at the end.

"GUARD!" Robin yelled.

The guard turned to look at Robin, his hand clutching the shaft of his spear.

"May I help you - "

"The Shepherds, the ones that just fought in the arena and won, where are they now?!" Robin interrupted.

"The victors are in the mess hall for a celebration."

"Where's the mess hall?"

The guard pointed to his right, "Two halls down, take a left, and you'll see the doors to the mess hall."

Robin took off again before the guard finished speaking. He ran through the halls, following what the guard said and came across a large double door.

Bursting through the door, Robin quickly scanned the room. Every member of the room eyed the crazed tactician, but Robin could care less.

"Robin, is something that matter?" a knight in viridian green armor asked.

"Stahl, where's Lissa?"

"She should be in the back of the room with – Robin?"

Robin quickly walked further into the room, practically pushing people out of the way as he moved.

"Lissa!" he called out, spotting the golden haired princess speaking to Chrom.

"Oh hey! Robin! Perfect timing – oh gods there's blood on your shirt and hands!"

"Lissa, I need you to help me, right now!" Robin urged. "Reina's gravely wounded."

"WHAT?!" Chrom roared. "What happened?!"

"There's no time! Lissa, now!" Robin said again. He was doing his best to not panic, forcing down his fear through sheer willpower.

Lissa grabbed her staff from a nearby table, and Robin grabbed her hand as he led her though the crowd. Whispers rang back and forth throughout the room as the crowd gave way to Robin.

"Robin, what happened to Reina?" "Is Reina alright?"

Ignoring both Lissa and Chrom as they asked him what was going on, Robin ran through the halls once again and back to the south wing's guest room, where he left Reina in Lucina's care.

 _Let there be enough time,_ Robin silently prayed.

Arriving at the guest room once more, Robin threw open the door, looking around for both Reina and Lucina. He noticed two things right away. The first being that Reina was no longer on the ground, rather, she was placed on the bed as if she was sleeping, her skin pale from the loss of blood. The second was that the blue haired princess was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh gods…Reina!" Lissa rushed over to her side. Raising her staff over Reina, Lissa closed her eyes, concentrating. A light green glow surrounded Reina, and little by little, the color returned to her face.

The door to the room burst open as the other Shepherds rushed in.

"What happened?" "Is Reina alright?"

Each member asked one of the two questions at once before quickly being silenced by a single look from Chrom.

 _Be quiet_.

His silent message was understood as the Shepherds quieted down, but the concern did not leave their face. Everyone watched silently as Lissa continued to heal Reina.

 ** _I'm sure you've noticed, Robin._**

 _Noticed what?_

 ** _Noticed that one, Reina was partially healed before we got here, and two, Lissa has nowhere enough mana to heal that wound. She's far too inexperienced as of now._**

Beads of sweat tricked down Lissa's face as she pulled the from her mana pool, proving _Alter-Robin's point_. Robin walked forward and lightly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Robin?" Chrom asked.

"Lissa won't have enough mana to heal a wound that deep, so I'll be giving her some of mine," Robin explained.

A blue glow emanated from Robin's hand, and Lissa felt her mana reserves being replenished faster than she could use. With this continuous flow of mana, she could easily double her healing –

"Careful, don't push yourself," Robin warned. "I may be giving you mana, but your body can only channel so much at a time before it damages your mana circuits."

Lissa nodded hearing Robin's words, slowing her pace down to just a notch faster than it was before. She continued for another minute or so when Robin stopped her.

"That's more than enough, Lissa," Robin said. "Magic does take a toll on your body, and you're nearing your limit. Any more than this and you'll risk harming yourself."

"I can continue-"

"You can continue once you've recovered yourself," he added.

Lissa slowly lowered her staff as the green glow around Reina vanished.

"You did amazing, Lissa." Chrom praised his sister.

Lissa, too exhausted to say anything, collapsed onto a chair that Stahl provided.

"Now then," Chrom looked over at Robin, "care to explain what happened here?"

Robin sighed. "No chance of me getting out of this one, I suppose?"

"Not in the slightest," Chrom sternly answered. "You owe us an explanation after what happened here – what happened to Reina."

"…Alright…" Robin finally said. "Let's speak somewhere else though." He gestured over to Reina, who was peacefully sleeping.

* * *

"I'll start from the beginning, from the origins of both Reina and I," Robin started.

The group moved to a private room provided for them by Khan Flavia. They were seated by a large circle table with a newly arrived West-Khan's former champion, Lon'qu. Lissa was to Robin's left, followed by Frederick, Sumia, Stahl, Miriel, Vaike, Lon'qu, and finally Chrom, finishing the circle.

"To put it simply, Reina and I are different versions of the same person. I'm her and she's me, only she's female and I'm male."

"I'm not sure I..." Sumia's voice trailed off.

"Imagine a blacksmith. He has a lump of metal he plans on forging into a weapon, and in the end, he manages to produce twin swords with a minor difference between the two," Chrom said.

Sumia looked even more confused than before.

"I appreciate your gallant effort, Chrom, but please, leave the explanation to me," Robin grinned. He turned to look at Sumia. "Imagine yourself, but as a male."

"Okaayyyy...done!"

"Do you have a clear image in your head?"

Sumia nodded.

"There you go," Robin sat back.

"Wait, that's it?" Sumia asked, surprised.

"Mhmm, simple as that. Reina is basically a female Robin, while I'm a male Reina."

"Oooohhhh, I get it now!" Vaike laughed as he slammed his hand on the table.

"That's a lot simpler than your explanation, Chrom," Lissa teased, much to her brother's embarrassment.

Robin cleared his throat, gathering everyone's attention again. "As I was saying, both from the future. Different futures, at that." Robin could already see confusion growing on everyone's face aside from Chrom's. "To put it simply, I'm from World A and Reina is from World B, and this world that we're currently residing in is World C."

"Robin, are you implying that there's multiple worlds?" Miriel asked.

"I'm not implying, I'm stating," Robin replied bluntly. "Reina did not exist in my world, nor I in hers. There's also a possible World D, but I'll get to that soon.  
The worlds and futures that Reina and I come from are nearly identical in terms of the events that happened. The alliance between the Ylissians and Feroxians that we just made was also made in our worlds. After that, Ylisse goes to war against the Mad King Gangrel of Plegia, which we emerge victorious. From there, there's a grace period where the Exalt and the rest of the land strives for peace, but then Valm invades. We stop the initial invasion of Valm, then we cross the sea and so comes the Valmese War.  
After roughly a year there, the war is over and we return to Ylisse, only to find out that the new king of Plegia, Validar, is working to resurrect the Fell Dragon Grima, and he steals the Fire Emblem."

"He steals WHAT?!" Chrom instantly stood, outraged.

"Peace, Chrom," Robin calmly said.

Chrom reluctantly sat down. Vaike, Sumia, and Stahl all looked to be confused at Chrom's outburst.

"The Fire Emblem, also known as the Shield of Seals, is one of the national treasures of Ylisse along with Falchion, Chrom's personal sword." Robin explained, clearing the confusion. "Both the Falchion and Fire Emblem were used by the first Exalt to defeat Grima a thousand years ago. But in the wrong hands, can be used to ironically revive Grima rather than destroying him, which is what Validar was planning to do.  
To stop Validar, a third war is waged, and one that is much shorter than the other two. We defeat Validar, but…"

Robin hesitated, looking at Chrom. It was always pained Robin to recall the memory and the feeling of killing his best friend.

"We defeat Validar," Robin repeated, "but in the battle, Chrom is killed."

A grim silence hung in the air.

"I…die?" Chrom muttered.

Robin nodded, unable to look into his eyes.

"After the battle, the Shepherds return to Ylisse, and I pass out. The next thing I know, I'm being woken up in this world by Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick without any of my memories.  
As for Reina, we talked earlier and her story matched mine. Chrom dies in her world as well, and then she's found by you guys."

More silence.

"I suppose that explains why both you and Reina are such fearsome fighters," Stahl finally said. "You two went through three wars and survived all three."

Robin nodded at the green knight.

"Is that why the two of you came through time? To save Chrom?" Sumia piped.

"I don't think that's the sole reason why we came back, but rest assured, we will not let Chrom die this time around." Robin said fiercely.

The rest of the Shepherds nodded in agreement. Lon'qu however, seemed to be indifferent as he was their most recent member.

"That still leaves the question: how did Reina get wounded?" Chrom asked.

"I'm getting to that soon." Robin stated. "Earlier, I said that there's a possible World D," Robin continued. "That World D is the future that Marth comes from, and is a future much worse than both Reina's and mine."

"That's hard to imagine," Chrom muttered.

"Marth's world is what I believe to be a continuation of events to both Reina's and my world. After Chrom's death and our disappearance, Grima is resurrected and he nearly drives mankind to extinction."

Silence fell again.

"…what…what about the Shepherds?" Lissa slowly asked.

Robin grimaced. "There are no more Shepherds; everyone is killed off one by one over time. Marth said that only handfuls of humans survived in little pockets of the world. Naga herself opened up a portal to the past, allowing Marth to travel back in time to prevent the resurrection of Grima."

Chrom let out a groan. "Honestly, I'd have passed you off as an insane person had I not known any better," Chrom massaged his temples. "Time travel, Grima's resurrection, the world's end? All that sounds like fool's talk."

"Hey, at least you got to experience it in a way by meeting three time travelers." Robin couldn't help but grin a little. "Most people won't even get a chance in their life, nor in the children's life or grandchildren's.  
Anyway, as I was saying, Marth's sole reason for returning was to stop Grima. I was speaking with him earlier when Reina walked in looking for me. Then for some reason, Marth thinks that Reina is Grima and attacked her - "

Multiple things happened simultaneously. Chrom shot to his feet, causing his chair to clatter to the ground, Sumia and Lissa let out a collective gasp, Miriel dropped her glasses that she was in the middle of inspecting, and Stahl's stomach growled.

"Marth is the one that harmed Reina?!" Chrom roared.

"Chrom, let me explain - " Robin attempted to calm the prince.

"Where. Is. Marth." Chrom growled.

"I can't tell you something that I don't know," Robin calmly replied. Keeping a level head was something that he trained himself to do as it helped calm those around him when needed. And this was one of those times when he needed those around him, mainly Chrom, to calm down.

Chrom stormed off in the direction of the door, but not before Robin pointed his finger at it, causing it to, simply put, magically close on its own and lock itself. Chrom slowly turned around.

"Let me say my part here, Chrom." Robin said. "Once you've heard what I have to say, then you can chase after Marth, wherever he's gone off to. That is, if you still think that it'd be the right course of action."

No one said a word as they looked back and forth between the tactician and the prince. Chrom could easily break down the doors through force which he seemed to be a second away from doing.

"Chrom, I think we should listen to what Robin has to say, at least," Lissa quietly said.

A tense moment passed.

"Fine," Chrom finally said, walking back and sitting down.

"As I was saying, Marth somehow mistook Reina for Grima," Robin continued. "That raises a couple questions. 'Why did Marth see Reina as Grima?', and 'How and why did Marth seem to be possessed by something of a third party?' The latter most likely holds the answer to the first question."

"What do you mean 'Marth seemed to be possessed'?" Chrom asked.

"Because for a split second when Reina entered, I didn't see Reina alone," Robin recalled. "There was…a shadow around Reina. Marth must've seen it too because Marth didn't look like himself at that moment. Then he unexpectedly took out his sword and ran it through Reina's body."

"That sounds like a load - "

"- of pegasus dung, I know, Frederick," Robin cut off the knight, finishing the accusation for him.

"You said a shadow was around Reina for a moment. Wouldn't the logical conclusion be that it is Reina, not Marth, that is seemingly possessed?" Miriel speculated.

"That's a valid point, but I've thought about it, and that doesn't seem like the case," Robin answered. "When I said Marth didn't look like himself, I meant that in a literal sense. You guys saw his hair color as blue, right?" The Shepherds nodded. "In that brief moment, Marth's hair color was black, not blue; something like that can only happen through a very ancient and dark magic.  
"Also, Chrom," Robin looked at the prince, "you once said that you can tell a lot about someone's demeanor by locking blades. Did Marth seem like the individual to outright kill someone?"

"...no, he didn't," Chrom shook his head after a brief pause.

"And there you have it," Robin leaned back on his chair. "I know it's not the solid proof to defend Marth, but it's all there is."

Robin looked at each Shepherd currently in the room. Frederick seemed to be quite displeased with Robin's statements, while the others seemed to be mulling everything over.

"Does…does Marth know any healing magic?" Lissa asked.

"Not that I know of, though he is in possession of some elixirs and vulneraries," Robin replied. "Why do you ask?"

Lissa hesitated before speaking again. "The only reason why I was able to save Reina…was because she was already partially healed, and it wasn't from the effects of an elixir of vulnerary."

Robin recalled what _Alter-Robin_ said earlier and tried to remember if Lucina had told him anything about her having delved into the healing arts, coming up with nothing. There was, after all, a reason why Robin bought vulneraries and elixirs for her.

"I don't know how that could've happened. Maybe he knows a little, but..."

Lissa nodded, her hand on her chin and brow furrowed.

"Anyways, I've said my part." Robin started again. "So, Chrom, what will you do now? If you still want to pursue Marth, I won't stop you." Robin flicked his hand, and the locks on the door unlatched with a loud click.

Chrom let out a sigh. "No, I won't. I've decided to trust what you've said, Robin."

"Milord, I ask that you reconsider!" Frederick objected. "Marth has committed a grave offense - "

"I'll hear your complaints later, Frederick," Chrom said. "But right now, what we need is rest. Vaike is already asleep."

Everyone's head turned to look at Vaike, whose head was resting on the table.

 _He was awake just a few minutes ago..._

"Get some rest, everyone," Chrom yawned. "And someone wake him up," he added, pointing at Vaike.

"Allow me," Miriel volunteered. She lifted her hand, hovering just behind Vaike's neck. A small spark of electricity jumped from Miriel's hand and onto Vaike's skin, and he jumped awake, screaming.

"AGAAH! HORSE – MAD BEAST - TRAMPLE – huh?"

The Shepherds all burst into laughter.

"Ahahaha! 'Mad beast', Vaike?" Stahl doubled over.

"I wonder what manner of dream you were having that involved a horse and a mad beast," Miriel said, smiling.

"The horse was the mad beast, which was about to trample me," Vaike muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Smiling to himself, Robin quietly left the room as the Shepherds teased Vaike.

"Oh, by the way, Robin," Chrom called.

Robin turned around.

"Where's your coat?"

Robin looked down. His coat was indeed missing and he was just in a beige sleeveless shirt and white pants. He was wondering why it was so cold, and why he felt so…off.

"Where _is_ my coat..?" Robin muttered, as he retraced his steps in his head. He was definitely wearing it during the fight in the arena. He was wearing it on the way to meet Lucina, and took it off when –

"Reina!" Robin scampered out of the room and to the south wing again.

* * *

"So this is where you ran off to."

Robin was standing on the roof of one of the many towers of Arena Ferox. His lone stargazing moment was interrupted as Chrom walked up the stairs to join him.

"Hey, Chrom," Robin greeted the prince.

"I see you have yet to find your cloak," Chrom pointed out. Robin was wearing a dark grey coat with red linings instead of his usual black-purple one.

"Oh, that? No, I found it alright, only it's covered in blood since I used it as a makeshift bandage for Reina," Robin promptly said.

"And so you pulled out a cloak of similar make?"

"Nope, this one I got from Flavia, which she graciously offered as a reward for winning the tournament."

"How come I didn't get anything?" Chrom complained, leaning back on a portion of the wall.

"Cause I'm better liked," Robin joked.

The two laughed for a moment, before Robin looked over the walls again, a solemn look on his face.

"Mind telling me what's wrong?" Chrom asked.

"Hm?"

"I may not have known you for that long, but I can at least tell when something's on your mind," Chrom explained.

"Ha, I forgot that your intuition was always really good," Robin grinned, before frowning again.

"I'm just thinking over everything that's happened recently," he continued. "Everything is so familiar, yet different at the same time from my world. And Reina…" Robin grimaced. "As I watched Reina bleed out, I felt as if I was dying alongside her - as if I _was_ her."

"Robin, you know that's not true!" Chrom exclaimed. "You and Reina are two different people."

"Are we though?" Robin's hand balled into a fist. "We may be two different alterations, but we're the stem from the same branch in the end. The only difference would be our gender and slight differences in our mannerisms and characteristics."

Robin sighed, before continuing. "I saw myself die, Chrom, and I don't mean figuratively. I literally saw my body on the floor, growing colder by the second. And as I watched, I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and I couldn't breathe."

"I guess even the mighty time traveler Robin can feel pain," Chrom grinned. "I was starting to think that you would be invulnerable with your battle prowess."

"I open up to you a little and this is what I get in return?" Robin sighed.

"If I'm going to suffer from both you and Reina's sass and sarcastic retorts, you better bet that I'll be doing the same back to you as much as I can," Chrom said with a slight bit of snark in his voice.

"My dear prince, are you openly declaring war against Reina and I?"

"Of course not," Chrom replied. "How can I declare war if it the fires have already been long lit?"

"You've a point there, my prince. But prepare yourself for the long uphill battle against a foe that has been in the field for much longer than you have," Robin said with a mischievous grin.

Chrom laughed, lightly punching Robin on the arm. "I'll admit, it's refreshing to see a more human side to you."

"I didn't realize that I changed my look recently," Robin chided.

"Are you always a smart-ass?"

"No, sometimes I sleep." Robin grinned.

Chrom groaned. "Speaking of sleep, I'm going to do that right now, and you should too. We leave for Ylisse in the morning."

"Duly noted," Robin said, as he looked over the land once more.

* * *

"Robin? Rooobin! ROBIN!"

"Abuuhhh?! What is it?"

Robin returned from his little replay of memories, looking at a frowning Lissa. They back on the road, a little over an hour from Ylisstol.

"It's Reina," Lissa said. "She's awake."

"How is she?"

Lissa stared at him blankly. "Well, she's awake, as I just said. The first thing she said after opening her eyes was that she wants to speak to you."

"Did she happen to tell you why?" Robin asked, puzzled.

"Nope. Whatever she has to say, she wants only you to know," Lissa replied, hopping out of the carriage.

"Are you sure you should be walking around?" Robin voiced his concern.

"I'll be fine, Robin," Lissa chimed. "Now hurry up so I can sit back down in the carriage."

Nodding, Robin climbed into the moving carriage. Reina was sitting upright, her cloak draped around her like a blanket.

"Hey," Reina casually said, waving a hand.

"Glad to see you're up," Robin said. "You seem to be in good shape considering you were almost dead not too long ago. I figured you'd be asleep until nightfall."

Reina shrugged. "Blame the carriage. It keeps bumping around on the road, making it difficult to sleep. Besides, I got enough sleep yesterday."

"Haha, that is true," Robin laughed, sitting down. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Reina opened her palm, and a glow emanated from her hand. The light expanded until a small bubble surrounded the two.

"Noise isolation magic," Reina explained. "This way, we can speak freely about Marth without anyone finding out her identity."

"Smart move," Robin looked at the magic bubble curiously, poking at it to see if it would burst. It didn't.

"Before Marth…you know…almost killed me," Reina started, her hand moving up to the spot where Lucina had stabbed her, "you were about to introduce me to her, and I get the feeling that there's more to her than meets the _eye._ "

"You noticed, then," Robin said, noticing the emphasis Reina put on the word 'eye'.

"The Mark of Naga on her left pupil? Not that hard to miss," Reina stated.

Robin nodded. "Lucina, or 'Marth', is the daughter of Chrom who came from the future roughly twenty years from today's world. Chrom did have a daughter in your world, right?"

"Yeah, he did. After Gangrel was defeated, Chrom proposed to Olivia. One year later, Lucina was born." Reina explained.

"That's the same as my world, only Chrom married Sumia, not Olivia," Robin placed a hand on his chin. "Maybe the children of the Shepherds are predetermined already?" he hypothesized.

"Possibly. In my time, Frederick and Cherche had a son named Gerome, Panne and Donnel had a son named Yarne, and Cordelia and Gaius had a daughter named Severa."

"Frederick and Cordelia had a daughter named Severa in my world, Cherche married Virion, had a son named Gerome, Panne and Vaike with Yarne, and Gaius – Tharja with Noire." Robin compared his world with Reina's. "Was Yarne half-taguel and really timid in your world?"

Reina nodded.

"And what about Severa and Gerome?"

"Severa was…how do I put this…brash and impatient at times. She meant well, but she was always cold to the other children even though she actually cared for them. Never honest with herself.  
"Gerome on the other hand was cheerful, and loved to play with Minerva. He had a hobby of collecting masks, pretending to be a hero." Reina smiled as she recalled her memories.

"They're the same as my world," Robin stated. "The only difference that I can get from this would be their fathers."

"Maybe the children are connected to their mothers only instead of both mother and father?" Reina speculated.

"But then there's Lucina, whose mother differed between all three of our worlds. I didn't ask her about the other children and their parents, but she did tell me that Chrom married Cordelia."

The two tacticians sat in silence, mulling over the concept of different marriages and offspring.

"Aaahhh, this is confusing," Reina let out, massaging her temples.

"Seriously, it is," Robin agreed, running his hand through his unkempt hair.

"Multiverse theory is a _bitch_ ," Reina groaned.

"No arguments there. And the worst part is, I think we've only hit the tip of the iceberg."

Reina let out a string of curses that Robin didn't quite catch.

"Let's continue this later before the both of us suffer from a headache," Reina sighed.

"That and before Lissa hits me over the head with her staff for making her walk for so long," Robin added, moving towards the carriage tent's flaps. "Though that wouldn't be so bad since I'll be able to use it as an excuse to stay in here."

"Sorry, but I prefer my solitude whilst recovering," Reina smiled, and literally kicked Robin out.

The sudden kick from Reina caused Robin to stumble out, nearly falling to the ground as he regained his balance.

"Hey! Are you guys finished?" Lissa asked, seeing Robin. "I didn't even hear you guys talk!"

 _I guess Reina's magic did its job,_ Robin thought.

"Yeah, we're done for now. You can enjoy the ride back," Robin said.

Lissa beamed and quickly jumped back into the cart, surprising Reina judging from a startled scream, followed by Lissa's laughter.

Ylisstol was only an hour's march away, and Robin couldn't wait to get back to the place he could call home.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Another update! Lon'qu joins! (though he gets very little screen time here. Like...I think just two lines, max)**

 **This chapter is a little shorter compared to the previous two, as you've probably noticed, and there's two reasons for that:**

 **[1] The last chapter was originally supposed to contain scenes from this chapter, mainly the road back to Ylisstol and whatnot, but I couldn't resist leaving a cliffhanger with Reina's 'death' :D (some of your comments of your reactions were hilarious. I'm glad I did that).  
** **And seeing how the road to Ylisstol is pretty boring, I added Robin's PoV of Lucina stabbing Reina, along with him finally breaking the ice to the Shepherds. Well, most of the ice.  
[2] To stay on track with my already planned out story telling plan. - I'm a master with words, aren't I?**

 **And come on, you guys didn't really think I'd kill Reina off so quickly, right? I went through the trouble of compiling her introduction scene and everything, so having her in for a single chapter would've been a waste of everyone's time. Also, with Reina in the picture, I get to write about not just one, but two MU's in this story! How could I pass up such an opportunity?**

 **But on that note, I do plan on having character deaths in this story. Honestly, multiple wars and zero main character deaths just doesn't sit well with me, even if the main characters are the best of the best. Some are bound to die, especially seeing what they're up against (a mad king, a seemingly-invincible conqueror, and a giant ass dragon that can summon an infinite amount of undead? I wouldn't be surprised if they all died).  
The decision of character deaths is still up in the air for me as of now. If I do decide to kill off some characters, you guys will definitely know in the chapter containing it.**

 **And that's it for this A.N! Thank you for reading, and I'll see you guys in the next one!**

* * *

 **P.S. I got a PM the other day on whether or not I plan out what I'm going to write ahead of time or if I do it all on a whim. And since there may be others with the same question, I figured I might as well add it in the A.N. The answer to that is both yes and no.**

 **I've already written down basic outlines and guides with key events for each chapter of the Gangrel arc, so I already have the main ideas of the chapters thought out for the most part. The only thing I need to do is write out the actual chapters, which is what takes up a good 99% of my time. It takes less than five minutes to jot the chapter down on paper, and many hours to fully type one out.  
**

 **An example as such would be the past two chapters. On paper, I've written the outline down as:  
** **\- Robin rejoins Shepherds | -Reina introduction | -Risen attack [Shepherds chapter] | Sumia-Pegasus | -Regna Ferox [Warrior Realm chapter] | -Flavia introduction [Two Falchions chapter] | - Reina's 'death' | - Road to Ylisstol |**

 **As you can see, it's very, VERY simple. There's absolutely no detail in any of those, so the hard part is thinking of the detail and writing out the dialogue and scenes, while also accurately capturing the characters' thoughts and emotions.**

 **Obviously, some parts were changed such as the order of the first three being swapped around and part of |-Reina's death| and |-Road to Ylisstol| being cut into different chapters. Another change would be that Robin's PoV was pretty much an impromptu moment, and Robin's ice breaking moment was added in. But that's basically the gist of how I write these chapters.**

 **(** **I've also written down a bunch of select quotes that are not from the game that I plan on using later on, such as the {"Are you always a smartass?" "No, sometimes I sleep."} part near the end of the chapter)**

 **Hopefully this answers any questions you may have had and helps any aspiring writers that comes across this. Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions, and I will answer to the best of my abilities.**


	10. (X) Light Fuse, Run Away

**Hey, sorry for the delay on this one. This chapter was supposed to be out last night, but...Fire Emblem Heroes. Yeah...more on that in the ending Author's Note. See you guys there. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hnnnnnngggghhh…aaaahhhhhhhhh…"

Robin let out a blissful sigh as he stretched. He was walking with Chrom, Lissa, and Reina through the halls of Ylisstol's castle. The sun had risen a few hours ago, and the three barged into Robin's room to wake up the sleep lover.

"Heh, that was quite the stretch," Chrom laughed.

"You can't complain if I do that. You're the one that woke me up too early," Robin quipped, as he rolled his neck. Multiple pops and cracks could be heard and Robin let out another content sigh.

"Ewww, Robin, that's gross," Lissa said.

"Come now, Lissa," Reina grinned. "It actually feels really refreshing."

Mimicking Robin, Reina rolled her neck as well. Lissa flinched upon hearing all the bones crack.

"Blech, no thanks. Pass!" Lissa huffed.

"Might want to clog your ears for the next one then," Robin told the princess, bringing his right thumb onto the first knuckle on his index finger.

"For the next - " *CRACK* "EW, ROBIN!"

"Wooaaah, how'd you crack your finger like that?" Reina stared at Robin's hand in amazement.

Robin chuckled, resting his left thumb this time on his index finger. "I started cracking my fingers like this due to Lissa, ironically." *CRACK* "She dropped a crate on my hand in my future, so I only had one free hand. So, wanting to crack my knuckles, I tried different things, and this was the most efficient," he explained as he moved his thumb onto his middle finger, cracking it.

"No way!" Reina exclaimed, a wide smile on her face. "That's exactly what happened to me in my world! Which is how I learned how to do _this_!"

Reina slowly curled her fingers into a fist, and multiple cracks and pops resonated through her knuckles.

"Whaaaaat! That's way cooler than how I crack my fingers!" Robin laughed. "You've got to teach me that!"

"Only if you teach me how to crack individual fingers like how you do," Reina replied.

"Deal!"

Chrom cleared his throat. "As much as I enjoy cracking joints as you two seem to," Chrom rolled his shoulder. *C-C-C-CRACK* Robin and Reina's jaw dropped. "- I suggest we stop before Lissa starts crying."

"I am not crying!" Lissa punched her brother's arm.

"Kidding, kidding," Chrom laughed.

"My my, aren't we all so energetic so early in the morning," a soothing voice said from behind Reina and Robin.

The two tacticians turned around to see a serene figure standing a couple steps away from them. She was dressed in a long white robe with a light yellow and green cloak draped over her shoulders. Her golden hair was the same color as Lissa's which lightly braided and stopped just above her chest. Behind her stood a woman with short silver hair with a hue of blue tied in a bun. She was dressed in blue clothing with a shining golden chestplate and pauldrons strapped on, and her eyes were a bright scarlet color.

"Your Grace!" "Exalt Emmeryn!"

The two respectfully greeted the Exalt, bowing.

"Morning, Emm!" Lissa beamed, hugging her sister. "Hi, Phila!" Lissa waved at the knight standing behind Emmeryn.

"Good morning, milady," Phila greeted Lissa, a small smile on her face.

"Hello there, Lissa, Chrom," Emmeryn greeted her siblings. Then she looked at the two faces that were unfamiliar to her.

"Emm, I'd like you to meet Robin and Reina," Chrom introduced them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Emmeryn smiled.

"The pleasure is ours," Robin replied.

"Both of them were an immense help: Robin helped us fight against the brigands in south-town and got us out alive during the first night when the Risen attacked. Reina kept us all alive when we were overwhelmed by another group of Risen on our way to Regna Ferox," Chrom proudly said. "I've decided to make them both Shepherds."

"It seems that both Ylisstol and I owe you two a great debt," Emmeryn thanked the two before looking back at Chrom. "Is this the same Robin that you mentioned in the letter?"

"The very same," Chrom said.

Emmeryn smiled at Robin. "Then I should thank you again for your warning, Robin. Not a day after I sent Phila and her pegasus knights to strengthen our southwest border, a large group of bandits attacked. They would have burned down multiple villages had Phila been even an hour late."

"Not at all, milady," Robin bowed.

"Emm, there's another matter that I wish to speak to you about," Chrom said, his voice turning serious. "In private with Robin and Reina."

Emmeryn stared at her younger brother for a moment before nodding. "Very well, we may talk in my room."

…

"Thank you, Phila," Emmeryn said, dismissing her personal guard as they arrived at Emmeryn's door.

Phila seemed hesitant about leaving both the entire royal family alone with two strangers, but she bowed her head, acknowledging her orders.

"Chrom," Reina said, "if it's about what we talked about before or about both Robin's and my origin, then I suggest that everyone here be present. It'll save us a lot of trouble in the future."

Chrom mulled it over for a second. They were standing just outside the Exalt's room. "All right, if the rest of the Shepherds know, then it's only right that Phila is also informed."

The group entered Emmeryn's room. Robin realized that this was his first time in her room. A faint smell of lavender hung in the air. On the left side was a large door, most likely a walk-in closet, with a king sized bed on the adjacent wall, velvet drapes hanging around it. On the right wall was another door, a small fireplace along with a table, two very comfortable looking couches, and two leather chairs.

"Please, sit," Emmeryn gestured over to the seats.

Robin and Reina sat on one couch, Phila and Lissa sat on the other two, while Chrom sat on one of the leather chairs.

Emmeryn disappeared into the door near the fireplace before returning shortly with cups and a pot of tea.

"Milady, you shouldn't have needed to brew tea yourself!" Phila exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

"It's quite alright, Phila," Emmeryn smiled. "It's the least I could do for the ones that saved the lives of my siblings."

"You give us far too much credit, milady," Reina lightly said.

Emmeryn poured a cup of tea for each member of the room before pouring one for herself, sitting down on the last chair.

"This is really good," Robin said, taking a sip.

"Thank you," Emmeryn's eyes softened hearing Robin's words. "It's my own blend of jasmine and rosemary tea."

"It's delicious," Reina added, taking a large gulp.

"So, Emm," Chrom cleared his throat. "There's two things that I wish to speak to you about."

Emmeryn set down her cup, staring intently at Chrom.

 _I did not know Emmeryn could change the intensity of her gaze so quickly,_ Robin thought to himself. For such a peaceful person, the Exalt had quite the imposing presence. _I guess intense stares runs in the family._ His thoughts shifted from Emmeryn to Chrom to Lucina, and then back to the conversation.

"The first thing is about the origins of both Robin and Reina," Chrom looked over at the tacticians. "They come from the future and a different world."

Phila choked on her tea, coughing terribly.

"That's quite the claim," Emmeryn said. She was wearing a very good poker face.

"I know, but it's the truth," Chrom replied. "Perhaps it's best if I let Robin explain, since he's much more knowledgeable on this matter."

 _That and I explained time travel three times before, this being my fourth._

"Very well, Robin," Emmeryn looked over at the tactician.

Robin explained the concept of time travel and multiple worlds to Emmeryn and Phila, the events from their time, and how they came to this world. Reina helped out by adding in details that Robin missed, and talking of the slight differences between their worlds. They also explained the events that took place in Lucina/Marth's world, and why she came back. Neither of them mentioned Lucina's identity as Chrom's daughter, or even her gender.

For the longest time, Emmeryn and Phila didn't say anything.

"I…I'm not sure how I can respond to such a tale," Phila finally muttered.

"It sounds like utter nonsense, I know," Chrom said. "But they have my complete trust."

Emmeryn let out a sigh. "Then they shall have mine, as well," she decided.

"Milady..?"

"If Chrom trusts them, then I see no reason as to why I shouldn't," Emmeryn said, partially relieving Phila's worries.

"Thank you, Emm, but that brings me to my next point, which involves you," Chrom continued, his face grim. "On the night of the next full moon, tomorrow night, Emm, you're…" Chrom clenched his jaw. "You're assassinated."

Phila immediately jumped to her feet. "What?!"

"It's true," Reina calmly said. "It happened in Robin's world, Marth's world, and my world, all on the same night. Fortunately for us, that confirms that the assassination attempt will take place in four days, so we can prevent it."

"And we're to believe what these two strangers are saying?" Phila glared at Robin and Reina.

"Peace, Phila," Chrom said. "If these two were after our lives, they could have easily done in anytime they wanted. I know they don't look like much, but trust me when I say that no one, not even the entire royal guard combined with the Shepherds would be able to harm either of them.  
"I saw Robin call down thunder on two occasions: the first leveled one of the old forts to the west, and the second destroyed a bridge and left a large crater in its wake, and he wasn't even using a tome.  
As for Reina, she was able to go toe to toe against Robin easily, so she's without a doubt equally as strong."

"Yeah! And in Arena Ferox, Reina was fighting like a whirlwind!" Lissa chimed in.

Phila stared at the two tacticians warily.

Ignoring her stare, Robin looked at Chrom, a sly grin on his face. "Chrom, it's impossible for me to call down thunder. Thunder is the sound that's made by lightning, so there's no way for me to summon a sound."

"Dammit, Robin, you know what I meant!" Chrom said.

"Yes, I did. Which is why I'm correcting you."

Chrom groaned into his hands.

"He's right, you know," Reina said, supporting Robin.

"I hate you. I hate you both." Chrom's voice was muffled from behind his hands.

Emmeryn let out a small laugh. "I'm glad to see my brother has made such good friends." She slowly stood to her feet. "But I believe that's enough grim talk for now," she said. "We can continue this talk later."

"But Emm - " Lissa cried out.

"Lissa, I know you're worried for my safety as are Phila and Chrom, but right now, there's a council that I must be present for." Emmeryn said.

"Okay…" Lissa frowned.

The small meeting adjourned, the group dispersed into three groups. Emmeryn made her way to the council chamber accompanied by Phila, Lissa pulled Reina along to the market, and Chrom and Robin went to get food.

"I don't know how Emmeryn must feel," Robin said, leaving the castle gates.

"I think I do," Chrom replied. "Getting told that you're killed isn't a nice feeling."

"I'm not talking about that, Chrom, I'm talking about how she worked so hard strive for peace, only to find out that there was three wars following her death."

"Oh, that…"

"But enough on that for now," Robin said. "Want me to introduce you to a tavern that the future you introduced me to?"

"Gods, that's confusing," Chrom muttered. "Alright, let's go."

"You're gonna love the place," Robin grinned. "Trust me, I know cause you told me that you loved it."

* * *

"You were right, that place was amazing!"

"Told you so."

"And that's been there for how long?"

"Mm…you told me about it after the Plegian war, which is a couple years from now, so I'd say it was opened a few months ago."

"Good job, me."

"Ha, don't get too full of yourself, Chrom."

The two friends were walking towards the castle's training grounds after filling their foods with food. Lots of food. Robin was a little against fighting Chrom, but Chrom insisted on it to improve his skills.

Turning the corner to the training grounds, Robin suddenly tensed. His eyes narrowed, and his posture changed immediately from being relaxed to being on edge.

"Robin? What's wrong?" Chrom asked, raising an eyebrow.

Robin stayed still for a moment, eyes wildly darting around.

"It's nothing…" he finally said, relaxing a little. "I thought I felt – ABWAH?!"

A small object flew past Chrom's face and straight into Robin's, hitting the tactician right between his eyes, knocking him to the ground. The small object, which turned out to be a fig, rolled onto the ground.

"A…fig?" Chrom muttered, picking the fruit off of the ground. "Where - ?"

Another fig flew over Chrom's head, and Robin was unlucky enough have his face in way of the trajectory as he stood up from the previous hit. Robin fell to the ground again as the second fig smacked him in the same spot between the eyes.

"COWARD!" A voice yelled from down the training grounds.

Chrom looked up and saw a terrified Lon'qu sprinting past him with Reina on his heels, holding a bundle of figs in her arm.

"ARGH!" Lon'qu let out a scream of pain as Reina pelted him with fruits. "I won't stand here to be pelted with fruit by a madwoman! I'm leaving!"

"Coward!" Reina angrily yelled, throwing more figs. "Get back here!"

Chrom watched in amazement as the myrmidon and tactician disappeared around the corner.

"What in the world happened?" Chrom muttered.

"…urrgghh…"

"Oh, right, Robin!"

Chrom had completely forgotten about his friend who was an unfortunate victim of the flying fruits.

"Robin, are you alright?" Chrom asked.

Robin answered with a string of incomprehensible words and groans.

"I'll take that as a 'no', then," Chrom sighed. "Let's get you to the infirmary. I can't wait to tell the healers how you got knocked out by a flying fruit of all things."

* * *

Hurried footsteps sounded echoed off the walls of a dark hallway. Robin was running. Form what exactly, he didn't know, but his gut feeling told him he was in grave danger.

"Damn it!" Robin panted. His lungs felt as if they were on fire and his legs as if he was trying to move through tar. "Where the hell am I?" He glanced back to see what was pursuing him.

Multiple dark shadows with gleaming red eyes were after him. Wisps of smoke came off of their bodies that were made entirely of shadow and darkness.

Robin continued to run down the hallway while slowly gathering mana into his hand. Soon, he was holding a fierce ball of white hot flames. He tossed it behind him, and an intense explosion shook the halls as the shadows screeched in pain, but the ones he incinerated were immediately replaced by another.

"What the hell are these things?" Robin cursed, lobbing another fireball.

The floor beneath him vanished suddenly, and Robin felt himself in a freefall. After a moment's struggle, he managed to twist his body right-side up as he fell further and further into darkness. Finally, he saw ground quickly approaching.

"Tch!" Robin clicked his tongue in slight annoyance. Approaching the ground he shot out a burst of wind magic to slow his fall and lightly landed on the ground.

Steadying himself, he looked around. He was in the middle of a large room. Four walls surrounded him, stretching forever upwards into the darkness. There weren't any windows nor were there any doors, and multiple torches placed on the walls illuminated the room.

Around him, dark smoke started to seep through the floors, slowly taking shape. Robin now found himself in the center of a large circle of the same shadows that were chasing him earlier.

"So, it's gonna be like that," Robin muttered. Flicking his hands, Robin summoned devastating pillars of lightning around him, striking down multiple shadows before cladding his arms and legs with lightning.

The shadows eyed him as they each formed weapons of their own in their hands made of the same shadow. Some wielded axes, some spears, and the rest of them held swords.

"Your move," Robin said to the shadows, taunting them to strike first.

With a hiss, the dark shadows threw themselves on Robin.

Leaping into the air, Robin easily dodged the attacks as he threw down a spear of lightning which pierced through two of the shadows. Sending his heel down onto another, Robin kicked off the shadow as he landed in their midst.

For the next few minutes, Robin fought like a demon. With his lightning reinforced limbs, he tore through the shadows as if they were...well...shadows. Some shadows exploded into smoke while others simply dissipated. He palmed, kicked, and shot lightning. But some of the shadows knew how to fight.

A select few managed to dodge, parry, and even strike back at Robin. He grunted as he felt a sword tear at his waist and a spear pierce his thigh. But the injuries didn't seem to matter to Robin as he continued to fight without rest until there were only two shadows remaining.

These two carried themselves better than the others. They patiently stood with their swords leveled at Robin, who was covered from head to toe in wounds.

The shadows and Robin stared at each other, waiting for an opportunity to strike. A shadowed body lying between the three of them dissipated, and then the shadows moved together.

The first one was upon Robin in a fraction of a second, swinging its sword in an upwards angle. Robin barely had time to block the shadow sword before the second shadow jumped over the first, its body tilted in a forty-five degree angle. Its sword made a large arc, cleaving the ground as Robin jumped back. Robin raised his arm to cast a bolt of lightning but was interrupted as the first shadow swung at his side, forcing him to cancel his cast.

Neither of the shadows gave Robin a chance to retaliate. While one of the shadows was recovering from its swing, the second would attack, followed by the first again. They covered each other's opening well, pressuring Robin as he was slowly pushed back. There was only one way for Robin to create an opening, but it was very risky. But having no other option and his back almost against the wall, Robin decided to act.

As the first shadow prepared to attack, Robin stepped in to meet it. The shadow didn't even hesitate as it thrust its sword, aimed at Robin's heart.

Robin's blood spilled onto the floor as he used his own hand as a shield. Even with his lightning armored hands, the sword easily pierced through his palm, stopping only an inch away from his chest.

"You're finished!" Robin roared. With his free hand, Robin slammed his palm into the shadow's chest. A bright light flashed from his hand as a wide blast of lightning tore through the shadow.

The second shadow didn't waste a second as it brought its sword down on Robin's neck. But without its partner, this one was full of openings. Easily dodging the swing, Robin spun on his toes, and sent a roundhouse kick into the last shadow's chest. The shadow barely managed to block Robin's kick, but had its sword sent flying out of its grip.

"Checkmate!" Robin said triumphantly, and plunged his hand into the shadow's heart.

The shadow weakly lifted its arm, clasping onto Robin's wrist.

"W-why?" An all too familiar voice sounded from the shadow.

Horrified, Robin yanked his hand out from the shadow's chest. "It can't be…"

The darkness surrounding the shadow slowly vanished, and a blue haired noble was standing in front of Robin.

"No…no no no!" Robin yelled in disbelief. "Chrom?!"

"Why?" Chrom asked again. A gaping hole was in the area where his heart should be. A hole made by Robin. Chrom coughed, falling forward.

Robin ran up to catch his friend, but Chrom vanished into smoke the moment Robin came into contact with him. Cold sweat was running down his face, and he looked around the room. Every single shadow that he fought earlier was now replaced with members of the Shepherds, their bodies lifeless due to Robin's blows.

"Robin?" A voice softly called out from behind him.

Turning around, Robin found himself face to face with his best friend's daughter.

"Lucina…"

"Robin, the person who killed my father…" Lucina said, her voice shaking. "…it was you all along?"

Robin's blood froze.

"How could you?" Lucina demanded, tears streaming down her eyes. "How could you kill my father?! You played me for a fool!"

Each word was like a knife in Robin's heart.

"No, I didn't mean – I didn't want to!" Robin pleaded.

Lucina slowly stepped back, drawing her sword.

"Lucina, please, you must understand!" Robin took a step forward, reaching out with his arm.

The princess shook her head, pointing her sword at Robin.

"Lucina, please listen – NGH!"

A sharp pain shot through Robin's head.

"AAAARRGGHHHHH!" Robin clutched his head in agony as his vision went red. He looked back up at Lucina, reaching his arm out again.

Lucina's eyes suddenly widened with shock and pain.

"No…" Robin muttered. "Gods, please no!"

A burst of lightning had shot through Lucina, leaving a charred hole in her chest. Robin stared at his outstretched hand in horror as lightning flickered around it.

"M-murderer…"

* * *

"Robin!"

Robin's eyes shot open, immediately sitting upright.

"Robin, are you alright?"

He was breathing heavily and sweat was pouring down his face. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. Multiple beds were laid out across the room with a dozen men and women in a cleric's garb walking about.

"The infirmary?" Robin mumbled.

"Thank gods you're awake."

Robin looked to his right. Chrom was sitting right next to him on a stool, his brow furrowed.

"Chrom?"

Chrom frowned. "You haven't lost your memory again, have you?"

Robin took in a deep breath. "No, I haven't. Just…just an unpleasant dream."

"Seems like it." Chrom said. "You looked to be in a lot of pain while you were asleep and the healers couldn't do anything."

"How did I end up in here?" he asked, rubbing his temples. "The last thing I remember was walking to the training grounds with you before…before…"

"Before you got hit in the head with a fig," Chrom finished. "Hey, I'm not kidding," he added, seeing Robin's face. "Reina was chasing after Lon'qu for some reason throwing figs, and you happened to get hit by accident."

Robin sighed. "What was she thinking? She knows that Lon'qu is deathly afraid of women, and I don't think her throwing figs at him will help."

"You're guess is as good as mine," Chrom shrugged. "Come on, let's grab dinner with the Shepherds."

"Dinner?" Robin tilted his head. "Didn't we just eat?"

"Yeah, we ate. About nine hours ago," Chrom grinned.

"NINE HOURS?"

"Yup, you got knocked out by a fig for nine hours," Chrom laughed.

Robin groaned into his hands.

"Come on," Chrom clapped his hand onto Robin's shoulder. "We might miss out on all the good stuff if we're late."

"You're right. With Stahl and Sully there, most of the food will be gone within minutes," Robin said, getting out of the bed.

"Exactly, which is why should hurry up and get there before that happens." Chrom urged Robin forward and out the door.

"Alright, fine. Race you there?" Robin said slyly.

"You are so going to lose," Chrom replied, sprinting down the hall.

Robin chased after him. "Not if I do...THIS!" He shot a weak gust of wind at Chrom's feet, causing the prince to stumble and fall to the ground. Robin jumped over his friend's sprawled body and down the hall.

"You are a filthy cheater!" Chrom yelled, scrambling to his feet, chasing after the tactician. Finally, he arrived in front of the doors to the dining hall where Robin was waiting.

"You're late," Robin snarked.

"You don't get to say that, you cheat." Chrom punched Robin in the arm.

Laughing, Robin opened the doors to the dining area. Then his body went rigid as a plate flew across the room and hit Robin in the face, knocking him to the ground.

"STAHL, YOU LET GO OF THAT CHICKEN LEG IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU!"

"Ah gwahb ih fur!"

"I don't care if you grabbed it first, you knew I was eyeing that leg for the longest time!"

Chrom watching Sully shake Stahl by the collar as Stahl was holding a chicken leg behind him, far away from the angry Sully.

At his feet, an unconscious Robin groaned.

* * *

"Emm, please, reconsider! He's called the Mad King of Plegia for a reason!"

"We've been over this already, Chrom. If Gangrel has called for meeting in peace, then I shall oblige."

Chrom let out a sigh. Early in the morning, they received a messenger from Plegia saying that Gangrel wished to hold a peace meeting. Despite Phila and Chrom's efforts, Emmeryn accepted Gangrel's offer for peace, and the Shepherds were currently en route to the west border of Ylisse.

"Chrom, it's alright," Robin said. "Even if Gangrel does decide to attack, we'll be armed and ready."

"I know, it's just…I don't like the idea of Emm willingly walk into danger." Chrom replied.

"Don't worry. No one but the Shepherds will be able to get near her," Robin said confidently.

"Alright," Chrom sighed. "Honestly, with you and Reina with us, I have doubt she'll be harmed."

Robin laughed. "I'm glad to know that you're confident in our skills."

"Who wouldn't be?" Chrom grinned. "The only thing that might bring you down is a fruit. And a plate."

"We don't talk about that," Robin muttered.

Chrom burst into laughter, shaking Robin by the shoulder.

The group passed Ylisse's border and was now in a grey area just between Plegia and Ylisse. The meeting was to be held roughly a half a mile into the grey zone, in an outpost. After about fifteen more minutes of walking, the outpost came into view. The outpost was just slightly larger than the Shepherds barracks. It was old and worn down, but still standing. The walls had a few cracks here and there but seemed sturdy enough. Two Plegian guards stood outside the entrance doors, one on each side. The guards curtly nodded at the group, opening the doors.

The interior didn't look any better than the exterior of the outpost. The air was dusty and pungent smell lingering in the air, and a few torches dimly lit the room, revealing a stairway down leading to another door.

"Ah, Exalt Emmeryn," a voice cooed from the darkness. A dark skinned woman stepped out into the torchlight. She had white hair that stopped at her chest, and wore a revealing black dress with a plume of black feathers on her collar. Her clothing parted down the middle of her shoulders revealing two large hills that were barely concealed. "My name is Aversa, a…retainer, one could say, for Lord Gangrel."

 _Aversa…_ Robin thought, _I never did figure her out completely in my world._

Catching his gaze, the corners of Aversa's lips twitched up ever so slightly in a grin.

"Lord Gangrel awaits you in the room below," she said, looking back over at Emmeryn. "However, do bring only a few of your members with you. Else it won't feel like a peace meeting at all." She sneered, and walked down the stairs.

"Robin, Reina, you're with us. Everyone else, stand alert." Chrom ordered. "Frederick, I trust that you can lead them in an unforeseen incident?"

Frederick stood straight. "Of course, milord."

The Shepherds moved, spacing themselves out around their room, their hands hovering around their weapons. "Emm, let's get this over with."

Emmeryn nodded, and she, Chrom, Robin, and Reina descended the stairs. Opening the wooden door, they stepped inside as they let their eyes focus in the dim lighting. The room small, with a long table placed in the center of the room. Two chairs were placed on either end. Seated on the far chair was a man dressed in black with bright yellow patterns that clashed terribly with his disheveled red hair. White and yellow pieces of clothing fanned out from his neck, similar to a jester's outfit, and a plume of feathers could be seen around his neck. On his head was a simple crown made of gold, signifying his status as king.

"If it isn't the Exalt herself, in all her radiance!" Gangrel cackled as they entered the room. "I fear I must shield my eyes!"

"King Gangrel," Emmeryn gave a light bow. "I was told you wished to hold a peace meeting."

"Straight to business? Have we no time for courtesy?" Gangrel sneered. "But as you wish," he gave a mock bow.

Emmeryn and Gangrel sat took the seats while Robin, Reina, Chrom, and Aversa stood by their respective lords.

"Before we start, Your Graceliness, may I ask as to why you have brought three guards with you while I have only one? I am starting to feel quite threatened!" Gangrel jeered.

"I saw it fitting to bring my brother, Prince Chrom, with me." Emmeryn replied. "As for the two beside him, they…"

"…Are my trusted retainers," Chrom finished. He crossed his arms, as if daring the king to make a witty retort.

Gangrel glared at Chrom. "I see the prince has placed two people that he met not even a week ago as his "trusted" retainers. Has the state of Ylisse's vassals fallen so much that - "

"King Gangrel, with all due respect, I believe we were here to talk peace." Emmeryn cut in, her voice dangerously calm.

 _Emmeryn, you can be one scary woman,_ Robin thought to himself.

"Tch, very well." Gangrel clicked his tongue. "As you know, the relations between our nations aren't exactly, how should I put it, peaceful."

"Such peace is something that I've been striving towards for many years," Emmeryn said.

"And I have come to tell you that I am here to offer you the peace you sought after for so long!" Gangrel exclaimed. "But at a price."

Emmeryn hesitated. "Very well."

"Emm - " Chrom started.

"If it is for peace, then name your price." Emmeryn stated. "If it within my power, I shall oblige."

"Oh trust me, it is well within your authority." Gangrel smiled wickedly. "I do not ask for much. All I request is the Fire Emblem, and we shall have our peace!"

Chrom's hand immediately reached for Falchion's hilt before being stopped by Robin.

"Calm," Robin whispered, placing his hand on his shoulder.

Chrom slowly lowered his hand, glaring daggers at Gangrel.

"You would as for Ylisse's royal treasure?" Emmeryn asked, appalled. "But why?"

"Because I know the legend!" Gangrel spat. "The Fire Emblem is the key to having all one's wishes realized! I have desired it for years. YEARS!" Gangrel slammed his fist onto the table, before collecting himself. "Yet…my birthday comes and goes each year, and nothing from Ylisse."

"The Emblem's power is meant for a single reason, King Gangrel: to save the world and its people at their hour of most desperate need." Emmeryn replied. "Would you claim a more noble wish?"

Gangrel scowled. "I want what every Plegian wants – a grisly end for every. Last. Ylissean. What could be more noble than that?!"

Emmeryn opened her mouth to reply, but found that no words formed on her tongue, giving Gangrel the chance to continue.

"Surely you have not forgotten what the last Exalt did to my people?" Gangrel hissed. "Your father named us heathens! His "crusade" across Plegia butchered countless of my subjects and my kin!"

"…I have never denied Ylisse's past wrongdoings." Emmeryn stared back at Gangrel with fire in her eyes. "But I have sworn to never repeat those mistakes! Ours is now a realm of peace."

"Yours is a haven of hypocrisy!" Gangrel shrieked, rising to his feet. "Now give me the Fire Emblem! If not, I have no qualms prying it from your shiny dead hands!"

Gangrel raised his hand, and the three Plegian knights came bursting through the wall, bearing weapons.

"Bring me the Fire Emblem!" Gangrel ordered.

The knights raised their weapons and ran at Emmeryn before a bright flash lit the room. In unison, Chrom, Robin and Reina each took down a guard with either a swing of their sword or a bolt of lightning. Heavy thuds sounded as the lifeless bodies collapsed onto the floor.

"This negotiation is over, Gangrel," Chrom said coldly, pointing Falchion at the mad king.

"Bwa ha ha ha ha!" Gangrel cackled, grinning ear to ear. "Killing my guards when they had no intention of attacking and raising your sword at a king? Now that's a declaration of war if I've ever heard one."

"Chrom, we have to go! Now!" Reina said.

Up above, the sound of fighting could be heard, with Frederick's voice being heard over the discord.

Chrom grabbed Emmeryn's hand and followed Reina out of the room. Robin took one last glance over at Gangrel and Aversa before running after his friend.

"This war will be a big, messy one that will bleed you Ylisseans dry," Gangrel cackled to himself.

* * *

The entrance to the outpost was in chaos. Large portions of the wall were torn down with a small army of Plegians pouring in. In the center of the room stood Virion, Miriel, Lissa, and Maribelle, each firing arrows, shooting magic, and healing respectively. In a tight circle around them stood Frederick, Sully, Sumia, and Kellam, using their spears to take down their attackers from a distance as Vaike, Lon'qu, and Stahl would cut down anyone who got too close.

Appearing in the middle of the circle, Chrom, Reina, and Robin joined the fight as Emmeryn pulled out a staff of her own.

"Milord, we must leave now!" Frederick yelled.

Chrom grit his teeth, cutting down a Plegian soldier. "Robin, Reina, I hope one of you has a plan!"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Robin said. "Reina, barrier!"

Reina nodded, and the both of them stretched out their arms.

"Obex!"

A transparent silver bubble surrounded the Shepherds, pushing their attacks back. The Plegians' weapons bounced off harmlessly off the barrier. Some tried to push themselves through the barrier only to have it act as a solid wall.

The Shepherds lowered their weapons, gasping for air.

"Many thanks, you two," Stahl wheezed.

Sumia, Vaike, and Kellam all suffered from wounds that were quickly patched up as the others caught their breath.

"Captain, your orders?" Sully asked Chrom.

"We fight our way out of this room, and back to Ylisse." Chrom simply said. "As for the details, that falls upon our two tacticians."

All eyes fell on Robin and Reina.

"Thanks, that's not a ton of pressure at all, Chrom," Robin sarcastically said, rolling his eyes.

Chrom shrugged, grinning. "The floor's yours."

"Unfortunately, this barrier isn't mobile," Reina started. "So, the moment Robin and I dispel it, we're going to have to start fighting again." She knelt down, and traced an isosceles triangle on the ground with her finger. Her finger traced a glowing line of magic. "Chrom and I will take point," she said, pointing at the apex, "Frederick and Sumia, you take the left side while Sully and Vaike take the right. Robin, you cover the rear.  
"Healers in the center. Virion and Miriel, take down as many as you can from the middle. Stahl, Lon'qu, Kellam, you three are on reserve. The moment anyone gets hurt, swap places with someone that's on reserve so that they can get healed.  
"We continue in this formation while advancing until we break the enemy lines or reach Ylisse, whichever comes first."

The Shepherds moved into their respective positions.

"Does everyone know what they're doing?" Chrom called out.

"You mean the plan or in general?" Robin asked.

"The plan...Robin..."

"Oh thank gods." Robin let out a sigh of relief.

"On my mark," Reina called out, grinning at the quick exchange between Chrom and Robin. "MARK!"

Robin and Reina released their hold on the barrier, causing it to forcefully explode, sending the nearest Plegians back. As one, the Shepherds pushed forward. The Plegian army threw themselves at the Shepherds, attempting to break their lines.

 _ **Hey, just saying, you don't have a sword. Again.**_

 _Long time no talk. That's the first thing you say to me?_

 _ **Did you expect some sort of teary reunion?**_

 _Heh, point taken._

Robin stretched out his hands, and swung them together in a large clapping motion. A large funnel of fire spun outwards in front of him, taking down a couple dozen Plegians.

 _ **Show-off. By the way, you have wyvern riders incoming on your nine-o-clock.**_

 _Thanks for the heads up._

 _ **No problem. I'm keeping the name, 'Alternis', by the way. Hopefully that won't cause us to get flagged by Square…**_

 _What in blazes are you talking about?_

 _ **Uh…the wyverns?**_

 _Right…_

"Virion, Miriel!" Robin called out. "Wyvern riders on our…"

 _ **That'd be our left, their right. Or just south.**_

"…to the south!"

Virion and Miriel scanned the skies, spotting the wyverns. Blades of razor wind shot from Miriel's hand as she clutched an Elwind tome in her hands as Virion fired two arrows at a time. Trusting the two to deal with the wyverns, Robin looked back in front of him to see a sword being swung down on him. His hand shot out, deftly grabbing the flat sides of the blade.

"I'll be taking that!" Robin said, kicking the owner of the blade. Tossing the sword in the air, Robin caught the sword again by its hilt. "Time to try one of Reina's moves," he said to himself, channeling mana into the sword. The steel blade hummed as bits of lightning danced around the now-yellow blade. "Now that's very interesting," Robin mused.

Testing his "new" sword, Robin stabbed the blade through the chest of a Plegian knight clad in armor. The lightning blade easily cut through the knight's armor as if it was paper.

"Niiiiceeee." Robin applauded himself. Then the magic fluctuated, causing the blade the shatter. "Not nice," he frowned as the knight fell to the ground with multiple shards of metal in his chest.

Parrying another swing, Robin shot out a beam of lightning.

"I think I'll just stick with magic until I get better control of weapon reinforcement," he said to himself.

At the front of the group, Reina and Chrom were forcing their ways through the enemy lines.

"Chrom, get back!" Reina yelled. "Swap with Lon'qu and get healed!"

Chrom didn't like the idea of getting put out of the fight, but he listened to Reina, holding his side. The moment he left his spot open, Lon'qu jumped in, cleaving the head off of a Plegian warrior with a single stroke of his blade.

Judging from the pace that they were moving, Reina figured they were nearing the Ylissean walls. But they wouldn't have enough time and energy to get there without casualties. The Shepherds were worn down from the sheer number of enemies and the amount of wounds they received, and Emmeryn, Lissa, and Maribelle could only heal so many times before they ran out of mana. Virion's quiver was nearly empty, and Miriel was down to her last tome.

"We're going to need reinforcements, and fast," Lon'qu said to Reina. Despite their close proximity to each other, Lon'qu seemed to be fine.

"Can you see the wall from here?" Reina asked, batting aside a spear with her sword before piercing the attacker's chest.

Lon'qu paused for a fraction of a second looking past the waves of enemies, nearly losing his head on the process. "Tch, they're like maggots," he said through gritted teeth. "The walls are visible, but just barely."

"That's good enough," Reina replied. Cutting down another Plegian, she raised her free arm into the air. A bright blue light shot out from her open hand and into the skies before exploding. The light formed to create a large Brand of the Exalt in the air.

"Reina, is that - ?" Chrom asked.

"A flare, signaling the Ylissean border guard," Reina explained. "Hopefully they see it and send reinforcements quickly."

"Good thinking," Chrom said.

In the distance, a war horn sounded.

"Looks like they received the message," Reina said. "Now all we have to do is hold out until they arrive."

"Easier said than done," Chrom muttered, swapping with Lon'qu who was clutching his shoulder. "I don't suppose you and Robin – HAA! – could create another barrier like in the outpost?"

Reina shook her head. "We could, but then what'll stop the Plegians from focusing on our reinforcements? There aren't that many in number stationed at the border."

"Then it's just – why is the ground shaking?" Chrom asked out of the blue.

Reina paused for a brief second, and the fighting around them slowly came to a stop as everyone looked around in confusion. The ground was indeed shaking. A low rumble could be heard and the pebbles on the ground were bouncing off the ground.

"What in the world is going on?" Reina murmured. She looked back at Robin. He was the only one here that was capable of casting magic on a grand scale to shake the very earth, but her alternate-self seemed just as confused as she was.

"Reina, I thought you said the number of border guards wasn't much?" Chrom tapped Reina on the shoulder.

"Yeah, there's only a couple hundred at max," Reina answered, looking back. Chrom was looking off into the distance. "Why do you – oh…" her voice trailed off as she followed Chrom's gaze.

"Yeah. 'Oh'"

A large wall of knights bearing Ylissean colors was approaching with incredible speed, numbering in the thousands. Those on horseback held banners high, each one emblazoned with the Mark of Naga. In the skies above, dozens of pegasus knights were swooping in, the leader having familiar silver-blue colored hair.

"For Exalt Emmeryn and Ylisse!"

Phila's battle cry pierced through the air, which was repeated by the rest of the army.

"Phila, you fantastic woman," Chrom grinned wildly.

The Plegian soldiers looked at the incoming army, then at the Shepherds, and then back at the army. At once, they all turned around and ran away as the Shepherds cheered.

* * *

"Phila, I cannot thank you enough for the timely rescue."

After the Plegian army turned tail and ran, the Ylissean army retreated. The Shepherds were given spare horses to ride back to the capital while Phila personally gave Emmeryn a lift on her pegasus. Out of the entire group, only Vaike and Sully had been sent to the infirmary. Vaike nearly had his guts spill out from a sword wound while Sully was hit over the head with an enemy warhammer. Neither of them were in imminent danger, but heavy treatment was still needed for them to make a full recovery. The rest of the Shepherds only had minor wounds that could be treated quickly.

"The credit does not go to me, milord," Phila replied. "Were it not for the signal flare sent out by a member of your group, we would not have seen the army from over the hill."

"Either way, it was you that came to the rescue so quickly," Chrom smiled. "How did you gather such a large number of knights anyway? There weren't that many stationed at the border guard."

"It was not my idea, milord," Phila admitted. "One of my newer recruits, Cordelia, suggested that Gangrel might use such an underhanded attack. Despite being new in the ranks, she shows an immense amount of talent and potential."

"She must be very promising if you're giving such praise," Chrom mentioned. "You usually never give anyone praise."

"Do I not?" Phila brow furrowed. "Sorry, I derailed myself there.  
"Cordelia requested that she ask the nearby border guard captains for reinforcements just in case. Taking her idea, I sent my her along with a few other Pegasus Knights ahead of time to gather out forces near the border. All we had to do then was to wait for your return or a signal of some sort that you were in peril."

"That was some fantastic thinking," Chrom said. "You have my thanks once again."

"Please, milord, there is no need for you to thank me," Phila bowed her head. "I am merely doing my job."

"Very well, Phila," Chrom laughed, turning around to leave. "I'll see you around."

"Oh, one question, if I may?" Phila asked.

Chrom slightly tilted his head. "What is it?"

"How was it that you managed to send up such a signal in the air?"

"You're going to have to ask Reina for that one," Chrom replied. "We were in the middle of fighting when Reina just shot that flare into the skies."

Phila nodded at his answer, bowing once again. "Thank you, milord."

"Oh, and one more thing," Chrom added. "Tonight is said to be the night of my sister's assassination. I know you're already doing a superb job, better than anyone could have hoped for, but please stay alert, more so than usual."

"Of course!" Phila stood at attention.

"Thank you, Phila," Chrom said, turning around to leave once more.

Walking down the halls of Ylisstol Castle, Chrom turned a corner a little too quickly, bumping into someone.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Chrom apologized, rubbing his head.

"N-not at all, the fault is mine – EEK!"

" 'Eek?' " Chrom looked at the person he bumped into. He took a sharp intake of breath as he gazed upon a woman with long red hair, matching eyes, and still in her armor. She was wearing a white breastplate along with her greaves, pauldron, and gauntlets. A red and white shirt could be seen from underneath her armor.

"P-P-Prince Chrom!" she exclaimed. Her face turned a bright red.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm Chrom," Chrom stupidly replied. He noticed a small circlet with two small wings on her head, a symbol of a member of Phila's Pegasus Knights. He cleared his throat. "I take it that you're Cordelia? I've seen Phila's knights many times, but this is my first time seeing you."

"Y-yes, my name is Cordelia, the n-newest recruit in the Pegasus Knights!" Cordelia stammered, looking down.

"I was just with Phila a moment ago," Chrom said. "She spoke very highly of you."

"R-really?" Cordelia looked at Chrom with shining eyes.

"Mhmm," Chrom nodded, smiling. "She also said that it was your idea to gather the nearby border guards just in case as a safety measure."

"My deepest apologies!" Cordelia suddenly lowered her head. "It was a foolish mistake of me to mention that to Captain Phila - "

Chrom laughed, causing the flustered knight to pause. "Please, don't apologize," Chrom grinned. "Your decision wasn't foolish at all. It actually saved my life along with the lives of the rest of the Shepherds." Chrom extended his hand in a handshake gesture.

Cordelia looked down at Chrom's hand, and hesitatingly grabbed it.

"Thank you, Cordelia," Chrom said. "Uh…Cordelia? Are you alright?" he asked.

Cordelia's face was a deep red, and maybe he was imagining it, but was steam rising from her head. Then she fainted, falling backwards.

"Cordelia!" Chrom quickly caught her before she hit the ground. "Cordelia, what's wrong?"

* * *

Chrom sighed, leaving the infirmary. This was the third time that he carried in an unconscious person in the past two days, and two of those were both from the same person. The healers questioned Chrom as to what he was doing that would cause people to fall unconscious when they're around him, and Chrom had nothing to say. Perhaps he could have mentioned how effective figs were at knocking people unconscious.

"Well well, aren't you Prince Charming," an all too familiar voice snarked.

"Speak of the devil, Robin," Chrom groaned. "How much of that did you see?"

"Enough," Robin answered, chuckling evilly.

Chrom pinched the bridge of his nose. "Did I ever mention - "

"- that you don't like me? Yes, yes you did." Robin finished. "Now come on. We have an assassination to prevent."

"Right, I forgot about that just now."

"What would you ever do without me," Robin grinned.

"Just…urgh…" Chrom groaned into his hands.

Robin laughed and the two made walked off into the halls of Ylisstol.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this update! As I said in the first A.N, I was not planning on uploading this chapter this late. Sorry! It was supposed to come out last night/early today. I finished writing it out and so all I had left to do was read it over, make the line-break edits, fix some errors, and upload. But then Fire Emblem Heroes was released, and I've been playing that for a while.**

 **So, this chapter was a pain in the ass to write out since there wasn't a Maribelle to get captured this time around since the SouthWest border was reinforced, unlike in the game. Due to that, I had to figure out a way to spark the Ylisse-Plegian war in a different manner, which was a little more difficult to do, which was an oversight on my part. If this chapter seemed a little forced, you now know the reason why. I'll be going back to it as revising it a bunch to make it flow smoother as time goes on, but as of now, this is the best I can do.**

 **Also, a glimpse of Lon'qu and Female!MU's C-Support, and my personal edition of Chrom-Cordelia C-Support. The idea of Cordelia fainting is from the Summer Scramble DLC of Awakening.**

 **Oh, another note. The name for the Robin and Reina's barrier spell, "Obex", is merely "Barrier" and Latin, if any of you were wondering.**

 **Now that the usual A.N. is over, here's some replies to comments/reviews from the previous chapter.**

* * *

 **[|Comments/Answers|]**

 **\- Rankin de Merthyr: Hahaha, I'm betting on *SPOILER* taking the first death. :D**

 **\- Matt Cyr, Zero Kami no Mu: All will be explained in good time. Feel free to keep speculating though. It's quite interesting to read what you think of.**

 **\- AnonymousGeek: Yeah, in one of Gerome's supports (I forget which), it was mentioned that Gerome was a happy child in the past. Then his parents died which is what caused him to cut himself off from everyone and be Batman.**

 **And done! Thanks for reading again, and I'll see you lovelies in the next!**

* * *

 **Some talk on FE:Heroes.**

 **If any of you wish to add me, my player ID is 2791026307, name Jaice. As of now, 2017/2/3, I have two 5-Star Units, Lyn (She's so beautiful! I was insanely happy when I got her) and Lucina. I've already cleared the story on Normal, and am now working on Hard and Lunatic. Will I be spending money on the game? Doubt it since I got Lyn, and she was the main unit I wanted. I'm not really overly zealous on getting all the units, so I doubt I'll be buying Orbs, though I could use an higher star ranged unit since all I have is a two-star Virion which you get at the start of game.**

 **~ Quick Review~  
It's a fun game. It's free to play, but you can spend real money for a special currency called Orbs. These Orbs are used for multiple things, mainly for summoning more units/heroes, resurrect all your units should they all die in a level, or recover your stamina (stamina is what's used to play stages. It recovers 1 point every few minutes, with 50 max). You can get Orbs by either buying them with real-life money, clearing a stage for the first time, or if Nintendo gifts them to you. Basically like any other mobile game like Brave Frontier, Puzzle and Dragons, and Unison League.**

 **It's Fire Emblem at heart, but on a smaller scale. Literally. You play on a 8x6 tile grid, and you can bring in a total of 4 units per map. The enemy will also bring in 4 units, sometimes 3 in the early stages and 5 in the later stages. There's 9 story chapters as of now, with each chapter having multiple sub-chapters. Once you clear that, there's Hard mode and Lunatic mode to do. Not sure about Lunatic+, since I haven't cleared Lunatic yet. If you guys haven't so already, give it a shot.**

 **And that's it for now! Cya!**


	11. (XI) The Oracle

**Update: Matt Cyr and Pokemon Tactician, thank you for pointing that out. That was a terrible mistake on my part. I made a near last-minute change swapped out every single "Marth" with "Lucina" due do some inconsistencies. I thought I changed the ones that I need to change, but I must've missed a few in my grogginess. Many apologies, and many thanks to the both of you. I went and read through this again, and hopefully I got the rest of it.**

 **That being said, if anyone else notices anything similar to this (typos, grammatical errors, or anything of the sort), please do not hesitate to tell me. I wish to give you readers the best that I can, and a story with the least amount of errors possible.**

* * *

"That's interesting. But what if we extract heat instead of trying to force the cold in?"

"Like a reverse Fire tome…that might work! But now all we have to do is figure out to reverse it."

"Why not just say the incantation backwards?"

Miriel, Robin, and Reina were all inside Miriel's magic workshop just next to the training grounds. Robin's idea was to recreate ice magic based off of old manuscripts found in the library. The magic was lost many years ago, and Robin figured it could prove useful in the battles to come.

"Say the incantation backwards…hmm…" Robin muttered, pulling out a Fire tome.

"Robin, wait! I was joking about - " Reina quickly panicked, trying to stop Robin.

She was, however, unable to finish what she wanted to say when the Fire tome in Robin's hand exploded. The explosion sent flasks, test tubes, and the three magic users flying in opposite directions. Miriel, who was the furthest away from the tome, simply landed on her rear. Reina was sent tumbling over a table, and as for Robin, who was holding the tome in his hand, was sent crashing through the wall of the workshop, and right between a sparring session between Chrom and Lon'qu.

"Damn it, Robin," Reina groaned, standing up. Her ears ringing, she walked over to check on Miriel, who seemed to be perfectly okay. The red haired mage looked up at the female tactician excitedly, and started mouthing words at Reina.

"What?! Sorry, Miriel, but I can't hear a word you're saying!" Reina apologized. "My ears are still ringing from Robin's stupid move!"

Miriel frowned. Then she nodded before pointing out the hole in the wall made by Robin.

"You want me to check up on Robin?" Reina guessed.

Miriel nodded once more.

"Gotcha!" Reina said, giving her a thumbs up.

Ducking her head to go through the hole, Reina put a hand over her eyes. The outside light was nearly blinding compared to the dimly lit workshop. After a couple seconds, Reina's eyes adjusted, and her ears stopped ringing. An unconscious Robin was sprawled down on his back on the training floor with the Lon'qu and Chrom standing on either side of him. Lon'qu had a slightest hint of a smile on his face while Chrom was doubled over from laughter.

"Hey, what happened to Robin?" Reina asked, walking forward.

Lon'qu's face paled upon seeing Reina, taking more than a couple steps back.

"Robin – suddenly flew – Lon'qu and I – sparring – got between us - " Chrom attempted to explain in between fits of laughter.

Reina shook her head. "Chrom, I don't understand a thing you're saying." She looked over to Lon'qu, hoping for an answer better than Chrom's.

"Chrom and I were in the midst of sparring, when Robin suddenly flew by us," Lon'qu said. Sweat was profusely pouring down his face. "He was unlucky enough to get caught in between both of our swings with his face."

Reina looked down at Robin. There were two nasty looking welts on both of his cheeks.

"So that's what knocked him out. I thought it was his stupid explosion that caused it." Reina mused.

"Wait, explosion?" Chrom managed to control his laughter and breathing. "That's what it was?"

"Yup. Your brilliant friend here thought it wise to try and cast a fire tome in reverse, which caused said tome to self-destruct," Reina sighed, shaking her head. "Even beginner mages know not to tamper with tomes."

"Oohh, so that explains why the both of you are covered in soot and scorch marks." Chrom pointed out.

Reina looked down at her clothes. The front of her shirt and pants were charred black, with bits of it burned off. Thankfully she wasn't wearing her usual cloak, so that was untouched.

"And I just got this shirt the other day, too," Reina grumbled. She lightly pulled down on her shirt, straightening it out.

A guttural noise of discomfort sounded from Lon'qu.

"Uhh…Reina?"

"Yeah, what's up?" Reina looked up at Chrom, whose face was bright red.

"Your…umm…your shirt…holes…skin…" Chrom sheepishly said, deliberately looking anywhere but at Reina.

"Hm? What's wrong with my – " Reina looked down again. Her pulling on her shirt caused the holes caused by the explosion to stretch, revealing a little more than she expected underneath. Reina's face flushed a deep red. "HYAAAA!" Reina shrieked, quickly turning around.

A light chuckle came from the ground.

"And here I didn't think Lon'qu could turn any paler than he already was," Robin weakly laughed, sitting upright, taking his cloak. "Reina, cover yourself with my coat."

Robin tossed his cloak over to Reina, who gratefully took it. "Thank you," she meekly said, donning Robin's cloak. Strangely, his cloak didn't seem the least bit damaged from the explosion despite the fact that he was closest to it.

"How're your cheeks?" Chrom asked, desperate to change the subject.

"As if they were hit simultaneously by two swordsmen that attacked with all their strength – oh wait, that did happen," Robin sassed.

"And who's fault is it that you happened to be between us as we were sparring?" Chrom replied, crossing his arms.

"…mine…" Robin quietly muttered.

"Saying a tome in reverse? Even I know not to do that, and I don't even use magic!" Chrom chuckled.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Robin said.

Chrom laughed and helped Robin to his feet. "Come on, that's enough testing for today," he said, clapping Robin's shoulder. "Get some rest. You'll need it for later tonight."

The mood darkened instantly upon Chrom's words. Emmeryn's assassination was tonight, and there was only a few hours left until nightfall.

* * *

Robin let out a yawn. Walking out into courtyard in the moonless night, he stretched his arms high into the air. A brisk wind breezed through the area, swaying the grass around him and rustling his disheveled hair. Normally the night wind would send a shiver through his body, but the breeze felt oddly warm after Ferox's punishing weather.

Looking around him, a sad smile formed on Robin's face. This was the exact area where Robin had snuck into the castle back in his world. Just to his left was the maple grove, hiding the small cleft in the wall. And just behind that wall was the area where he sank between worlds, ending up in the one he was currently residing in.

A familiar set of footsteps sounded from behind him. Robin turned around.

"Evening, Chrom," Robin greeted the prince. "What're you doing out so late?"

"Robin?" Chrom seemed a little surprised to see Robin. "I could ask the same of you."

Robin shrugged. "Thought I'd get some fresh air. It's a pleasant night."

"Indeed it is," Chrom agreed before letting out a sigh. "I just talked with Emm."

"Oh? About what?"

"About the upcoming war with Plegia. Ylisse has nowhere enough soldiers to fight another war, so tomorrow we leave for Regna Ferox to request for additional soldiers," Chrom explained.

"How's Emmeryn doing?" Robin asked. "She's been wanting to avoid war for so long, and yet it was brought to her doorstep."

Chrom let out another sigh. "I can't say. She's my sister for gods' sake, and I still can't read her after all these years."

The two stood in silence for a while.

"She's strong, you know," Chrom said. "I don't mean physically, but rather her sense of will and her mentality."

"How so?" Robin asked.

Chrom hesitated before speaking again. "Not everything Gangrel said was a lie. The last exalt, my father, waged war on Plegia for many years. The violence… it was a brutal campaign, ending only with his death fifteen years ago. Plegia rightfully remembers their suffering, but his war was no kinder to his people." Chrom shook his head. "As the fighting dragged on, our army became more and more diminished. Farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork were conscripted and sent to their deaths. Soon, there was no food at all, and the kingdom began to collapse. I was young, but I remember those dark times, and I know how they affected Emmeryn."

Robin couldn't find any words to say. He had never heard of this before, and the right words of comfort failed to come to his mind.

"When my father died before Emm's tenth year, he left her quite the legacy," Chrom continued. "Plegia's desire for vengeance and our own people's unbridled rage; my sister became a target for blame on all sides. Her own subjects began to hurl insults, and some stones. She still bears the scar from one…but she never lets them see her pain. Only Lissa and I understood."

"It must've been so hard on her," Robin managed to say.

"I cannot claim to know how she does it," Chrom sighed, staring up at the sky. "I know that I could not greet such hostility with warmth and patience. While our people mocked and vilified her, she did the unthinkable; she reached out and healed them. She brought soldiers home to their families. She ended the war. And when Ylisse's spirit was mended and the people "forgave" her? …She never resented them for it. She represents the best part of the halidom – the part most worth protecting. Emmeryn strives for peace, and from that, has become the personification of peace. But some men would take advantage of that. Men like Gangrel."

Chrom's hands curled into fists, his knuckles turning white. Robin would've been taken aback at Chrom's rage had he not seen it before. The prince almost never held such rage, and Robin could count the number of times he had seen Chrom this angry on one hand back from his world.

"The day he understands peace," Chrom said vehemently, "will be the day death gives it to him. So…so perhaps I must be Death's agent. Emmeryn was would never order him killed nor do I want her to."

"Well spoken, sir," a new voice said from the direction of the maple grove.

Both Robin and Chrom turned to see a slim, blue armored figure in a mask step out from the darkness.

"Lu – "

"Marth…" Chrom said.

 _Thank the gods Chrom cut me off, else I would've given away Lucina's identity,_ Robin thought to himself, dodging an arrow.

Lucina looked at Robin for a second. Even through the mask, Robin could've sworn that she was glaring daggers at him.

"Good evening to you both," Lucina said, looking over to Chrom.

"How did you get in here?" Chrom asked.

Lucina pointed a thumb over her shoulder, pointing at a few trees. "The cleft in the castle wall, behind the maple grove," she explained.

Chrom groaned. "There? But how would you…ugh…"

"Heh, I guess your secret isn't much of a secret anymore, Chrom," Robin chuckled, causing Chrom to cover his face with his hands.

"Don't worry, your…secret…is safe with me. Rather, us," Lucina continued. "I'm here only to warn you."

Chrom looked up from behind his hands. "Warn us? About what?"

"…I take it that Sir Robin has already spoken to you of the Exalt's assassination?" Lucina questioned.

"Yeah, he did. Only the Shepherds and Phila, Emmeryn's personal guard, know of it, and they're guarding halls leading to Emmeryn's room," Chrom said.

"I see, that makes things much simpler," Lucina said, slowly drawing her sword.

Chrom immediately lowered his stance, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword narrowing his eyes.

"You who's hiding in the bushes, come out," Lucina looked behind her at a nearby bush. "I know you're there. Show yourself!"

 _What is she talking about – WOAH!_

From the bushes, a man with a sword came bursting out. From his worn down clothing concealing his face, this was no doubt an assassin.

Lucina tossed her sword up in the air before jumping up after it herself. Catching her sword, Lucina descended, bring her blade down across the assassin's back, instantly killing him.

Flicking the blood off her blade, Lucina slowly stood up. Just then, a second assassin came jumping out of a tree.

 _There's another?!_ Robin raised his hand, shooting off a quick bolt of lightning.

The lightning hit the assassin on the shoulder, wounding, but not killing. Lucina took a step to retreat, but then slipped on the sword of the first assassin, throwing her off balance. The second assassin's sword came down on Lucina's head.

Pulling her head back just in time, the very tip of the sword missed her, but not before cutting her ornate mask cleanly in two. Chrom dashed forward with a roar and swung his sword through the assassin's midsection. Blood spewed out from the assassin's side and he fell to the ground, now lifeless. Lucina straightened herself. With her mask gone, her hair spilled out past her shoulders.

"Wait you…you were a woman all along?" Chrom slowly asked.

"Uh oh…" Robin quietly said to himself.

 ** _And there's the grand reveal of her identity!_**

 _No, not yet. Chrom is ridiculously oblivious, so as long as he doesn't focus on her left eye, it should be fine._

 ** _And there's the grand reveal of almost all of her identity!_** Alternis corrected himself.

Lucina looked over at Chrom. "And quite the actress, too. Honestly, I'm surprised that you didn't figure it out until just now," she sassed, a faint smile on her lips.

"Pfft..!" Robin snickered. He was not expecting Lucina to reply in such a manner.

A loud explosion suddenly shook the ground. The three quickly looked at one another, before running inside, heading towards Emmeryn's room.

"I guess the two outside were the only assassins," Robin muttered.

"What makes you say that? That explosion means that there's more," Chrom replied.

"Since when do assassins use explosions?" Robin asked.

"Since now," Chrom said.

"It was a rhetorical question."

"And I gave you a rhetorical answer."

Robin stared at Chrom, running down the halls in silence. "Alright, I'll give you that one," he finally said.

"Yes!" Chrom pumped his fist in the air, obviously happy with his rare victory over Robin.

The three turned one final corner before arriving and Emmeryn's door. The Shepherds were already gathered by the door.

"Milord! Are you unharmed?" Frederick called out, spotting Chrom immediately.

"I'm fine, Frederick," Chrom replied. "How are the rest of you?"

"The only one that's harmed would be our noble archer, who took the brunt of the explosive," Frederick replied.

Robin looked past Frederick to see Virion on the floor, his side a bloody mess. Maribelle and Lissa were frantically working to heal him.

"Ah, sir Robin!" Virion chirped, seeing the tactician's worry. "Do not fear, for it'll take more than just this to take down the archest of archers! Besides, with two angels such as these working so hard to heal me, I can't afford let them down now, can I?"

"Save your breath!" Maribelle scorned him. "You're using up precious energy that you can't afford to spare by chatting away!" She looked up at Chrom. "He's out of any danger at the moment, but he won't be able to do much for the next few days."

Chrom let out a sigh of relief, nodding. "Virion, stay inside Emmeryn's room. You'll be much safe in there with Phila than out here in the halls." Virion opened his mouth to protest but stopped himself immediately.

"As you wish, milord," Virion replied, bowing his head.

Chrom nodded before looking over at his friend. "Robin, plan?"

Robin paused, thinking. There were three hallways leading towards Emmeryn's room. Two of them were large open hallways leading in from either side while there was one narrow one in the center. The currently gathered Shepherds consisted of him, Reina, Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, Cordelia, Sumia, Lon'qu, Stahl, and Maribelle, along with Marth/Lucina. Sully and Vaike were still incapacitated from their previous skirmish, Virion was harmed from the initial explosion, and Miriel had an experiment go wrong, so she was out of the fight. Snapping his fingers, he formed his plan.

"Chrom, Cordelia, Sumia, and Lissa, you guys take the left side," Robin pointed down in the direction they came from. "Reina, Lon'qu, Frederick, Stahl, and Maribelle, you guys take the right. Use the narrow parts of the hall to your advantage. Stay defensive and don't push forward. Doing so will only cut you off from the others."

"What about you?" Chrom asked, noticing that Robin hadn't included himself in either parts of the plan.

"I'll be guarding this middle passage," Robin answered, pointing at the very narrow hall beside him. "Marth, you're with me, but stay close to Emmeryn's door. This hallway can barely fit one of us, much less the both of us, and there isn't nearly enough room to swing your sword easily."

Robin clicked his tongue in slight annoyance. He would've preferred to have a ranged attacker such as Virion or Miriel to go on the left and right passageways, but he had no such luck right now, so this'll have to do.

"Sounds good," Chrom said before slightly raising his voice. "Cut down anyone who wishes to bring harm to the Exalt!" Chrom ordered. "The assassins will be using the darkness to their advantage, so stay alert. Disperse!"

The Shepherds all gave their prince a crisp salute before dispersing. Soon enough, it was just Robin and Lucina alone in the hall.

Robin glanced over at Lucina with a grin.

"What?" Lucina asked, tilting her head.

"All that trouble of keeping your identity a secret and all of it was blown by a mere assassin," Robin teased.

"I did not think that there would be a second assassin waiting in ambush," Lucina admitted bashfully.

Robin let out a laugh. "Don't think too hard on it," he comforted her. "Look on the bright side; it'll be easier to reveal yourself to Chrom later in the future now that he knows that you're not a man."

"There is truth to your words," Lucina smiled. "Thank you."

"There's always truth to my words," Robin playfully bragged. "Now then, a couple assassins just triggered one of my traps that I set not even ten seconds ago, so I should get going."

The moment Robin finished speaking, a bright flash followed by a low rumble came from down the hallway he was to be watching.

"A quick and painless death," Robin muttered under his breath as he walked down the hall. He paused, turning back and pointing at her hip. "Your Falchion…is it supposed to be glowing?"

"Hm?" Lucina looked down, unsheathing Falchion. A soft blue light was emanating from the tear shaped hole in its guard.

"I suppose you don't know either," Robin shrugged, turning back towards the hall. "I'll be back soon; this won't take more than a few minutes." Rolling his sleeves up, Robin flicked his hands down his side, cladding his hands in lightning, just as an assassin jumped at him from the shadows. Robin stepped forward to greet the assassin.

Even from Emmeryn's door, Lucina was able to see Robin fight. She realized that this was the first time that she saw him fight since she was preoccupied with fighting her father back in Arena Ferox. Robin's style was completely unorthodox.

Unarmed combat would be a last resort in a fight with weapons, and here was Robin, who was literally punching his way through the enemies. If anyone was out of his reach, Robin would send a quick cast of lightning from his hand which would quickly and easily solve that problem. The strangest thing, however, was that his fists looked to be deadlier than any weapon.

Robin's hands were crackling with lightning, acting both as armor and a weapon. He'd reach up and grab the enemy weapons, either disarming them or shattering them as if they were made of glass. His fists would tear through armor and cloth alike while his robe seemed to be stronger than steel. It was a completely one-side battle.

Lucina looked down the hall on her left, where the majority of the Shepherds were. Frederick and Stahl –

 _Where and how did Frederick get a horse?!_

Lucina quickly discarded the thought. Frederick and Stahl were up in the front, using their thick armor as a wall. Lon'qu and Reina would lunge forward and cut down any opposition that would get too close or posed a large threat to the armored fighters. Maribelle was right behind them, just out of enemy reach, healing the four as they would get small nicks and cuts. Reina would shout an occasional order to change up their formation slightly, but otherwise, it stayed the same.

To her right was her father, Cordelia, who was her mother from her time, Sumia, and her aunt Lissa. Her father was at the corner of the hall, and seemed to be…talking with one of the assassins. After Sumia and Cordelia had their weapons leveled down the corner, which Lucina assumed to be clear of enemies if Chrom and the now-familiar looking assassin were talking.

 _That's Gaius!_ Lucina realized, recognizing the orange colored hair and a lollipop sticking out of his shirt pocket.

Both her father and Gaius suddenly wheeled around, looking towards the side of Emmeryn's room. In both of their gazes stood a lone figure, with what looked to be long rabbit ears hanging down from where her ears would normally be.

Chrom took out his Falchion, pointing it at the new arrival.

"Hold! Panne is not your enemy!" Lucina cried out, warning Chrom.

Chrom hesitated. Both Chrom, and the new arrival, Panne, glance back and forth at one another. For a second, Lucina was unsure as to whether or not Chrom would listen. Finally, Chrom looked back at Lucina, lowering his sword.

"Panne is not your enemy; she's an ally," Lucina repeated slowly.

"Alright then," Chrom decided. "We'll leave her be for now."

"Captain?" Sumia questioned.

"Marth has earned out trust," Chrom explained. "She enjoys her secrets, I know…like her gender for one."

Lucina looked down, slightly embarrassed.

"But she's also saved our lives," Chrom continued. "Twice. And that's good enough for me."

Hearing his words, Lucina couldn't help but feel elated. "Thank you…father." Lucina added in that last part under her breath so that no one else would be able to hear.

"Now, to the matter at hand: driving these scoundrels from our castle!" Chrom swiped his sword through the air, clearly bolstering the morale of Sumia and Cordelia, readied their weapons once again at a new wave of assassins.

Lucina looked back down the middle hallway where Robin was fighting off enemies alone. Two heavily armored knights placed their tower shields in front of them, making wall of metal. Behind them, three mages chanted a spell in unison, forming a single large fireball above them.

To the bluenette's shock, Robin casually crossed his arms and stood in place. He adopted a curious expression as he watched the fireball grow larger and brighter with each second. Lucina couldn't understand what was going through Robin's head. Surely even he wouldn't come out unscathed if he took a direct hit, and yet he stood there, anticipating the attack.

At once, the mages finished their chant, sending the ball of fire at Robin. It was nearly as wide as the hallway, which to be fair, wasn't that wide in the first place. The fireball sailed over the heads of the knights and towards Robin who calmly raised a single hand, a smirk now on his face.

Suddenly, a freezing wind blew through the area, and the fireball vanished instantly.

Lucina was dumbfounded. "What just…"

"DAMMIT!" Robin cursed. Despite his angry demeanor, the tactician was smiling. "That was such a perfect opportunity too!"

 _A 'perfect opportunity'?_ Lucina wondered.

"Tch, I'll work on that later…" Robin said to apparently no one. "…after I finish up here," he added, staring at the very confused looking knights and mages in front of him.

Letting out a cry, both knights charged at Robin at the same time, only to stumble over one another in the narrow passage.

"You two should really learn to coordinate with each other like the mages," Robin said, taunting the knights.

One of them threw his spear, which Robin easily sidestepped, grabbed, and threw back at the knights. The spear soared and impaled itself through its owner's head. The second knight looked absolutely terrified as he hid behind his tower shield.

Grinning manically, Robin slowly walked up, only to have a bolt of lightning hit him directly in the face.

"ROBIN!" Lucina cried out.

One of the mages in the back pumped his fist triumphantly, confident in his kill. His confidence dropped immediately as the smoke cleared and Robin stood there, unharmed.

"Well, that was quite a shock. Heh, get it? _Shock_? Lightning? I'm hilarious." Robin laughed at his own joke, brushing a bit of soot off of his shoulder.

The assassin's were unsure whether to laugh or not, so they remained silent.

"Unfortunately for you, I've grown quite accustomed to getting zapped by lightning magic over the years, so much so that I'm practically immune to it now." Pulling out a tome for the first time in a while, he asked, "Would you like me to give you display on what magic can _really_ do?"

Lightning danced from the pages of Robin's tome and onto his hand. He then proceeded to weave it through his fingers as he grinned maniacally at the mages. Terrified, the three mages turned tail and ran away.

"Hm…did they think I was going to attack them?" Robin frowned, stowing his tome. "I was merely going to give them a display and was willing to teach them a few pointers if they wished." He looked at the knight who was still standing next to him. "So, what are you going to do?"

The knight raised his spear with a trembling hand.

Robin sighed. "If you wish to run, I will not stop you. But know this, once you swing your spear, that will be the start of our fight," he warned.

The knight assumed a stance. Shield in front of him, eyes poking out from above, and his spear resting on top of his shield. Even through the visor, Lucina was able to see that his eyes were determined.

"Very well," Robin moved backwards, creating some distance between the two. "But, before we start, may I ask your name?" It wasn't everyday that one would show such determination and conviction in the face of certain death.

"…Darvan, knight of Plegia, loyal to my commander, Mustafa," the knight replied, taking off his helmet and letting it drop to the floor. He had black hair, cropped short, with skin the color of copper. He looked to be a little older than Robin; around his late twenties, maybe early thirties.

Robin raised a surprised eyebrow. "Mustafa?" Robin remembered the man. Unlike most, Mustafa was a kind Plegian, only he was a general when they had fought. He most likely got a promotion not long from now.

"You know of my commander?" Darvan asked.

"…only the tales," Robin solemnly replied. "They say that he is a great man with a heart to match."

The knight's eyes softened. "Aye, that he is. I wish to be a part of no other army than his. We are a family."

"Well said!" Robin exclaimed. "I am Robin, tactician of the Shepherds, and I too, am lucky enough to be part large family forged by our bonds."

The two fighters readied themselves, eyeing each other before starting. Their fight lasted only an instant. Robin rushed in, ducked underneath Darvan's spear, and placed his hand on Darvan's shield before shooting of a bolt of lightning, piercing through both the shield and owner.

Darvan coughed, blood pouring out of his mouth. "Tell…tell my commander…that it was an honor…" he said before collapsing.

Robin straightened up, not saying a word, looking down at the knight. Lucina stared at Robin's back as he stood there, not moving a muscle.

"Robin?" she called out, slightly worried.

Robin turned around, a smile on his face. "Told you it wouldn't take more than a few minutes."

Lucina stayed silent. She could tell that his smile was forced. "He was a good man," she said.

His smile quickly vanished. "Saw through me instantly, huh," Robin said quietly, looking down."I wish I didn't have to kill him."

"Robin…"

"Sorry, I brought the mood down, didn't I?" Robin gave her another smile. "Come on, let's take out the stragglers."

Lucina looked behind her and at Emmeryn's door. She couldn't possibly leave Emmeryn unattended.

"Alright, fine, we'll stay at the door," Robin sighed, noticing her concern. "Sheesh, you worry too much," he said, walking next to her.

"My apologies," Lucina said, lightly bowing her head.

"Hahaha, don't worry about it." Robin reached up and rustled her hair.

The two stood in silence, or as silent as it could get since there was fighting going on all around them, but for their portion of the halls, it was silent. Lucina took a look over to Robin. His eyebrows scrunched together, eyes staring at nothing.

"What is it?" Lucina asked.

"Hm?" Robin blinked, looking at her.

"You're obviously worried about something," Lucina said.

"Heh, am I really that easy to read?" Robin smiled.

"Well, it's not as if I didn't spend most of my adolescence with you, even if it was from different times." Lucina shrugged. "Your furrowed brow doesn't help much, either."

"You snarky little…" Robin laughed. "I'm not thinking of much. Honestly."

Lucina's eyes narrowed. Deciding not to press the issue any further, she sighed.

"Your mother and father seem to be doing well, by the way," Robin suddenly said.

"What do you mean?" Lucina perked up.

Robin smirked, obviously thinking of a devious memory. "Did your father ever tell you how he met your mother?"

Lucina blinked, not sure what that had to do with anything. "My father told me that they'd seen each other around for a long time before she joined the Shepherds. And from there, they started chatting and eventually developed feelings for one another."

"Ha! That's one way to put it," Robin grinned.

"Oh, so there's a different view to it?" Lucina asked. "Please, do tell."

"Your mother, in both my world and this world, and most undoubtedly in your world too, was and has always been smitten with your father," Robin explained. "It's just that your father is one of the most dense and oblivious people that I know."

"Surely you jest!" Lucina exclaimed.

"I guarantee what I say is true. There was this one time in my world when we went on a small vacation to a beach," Robin recalled. "After clearing the place out of some bandits, I left Cordelia alone so that she can collect seashells. Not long after I left comes your father. And since Cordelia was absolutely smitten with your father, she got very, VERY flustered, and due to her getting flustered, her face went completely red and she started tripping over her words. She even said some of her thoughts out loud, most of them being a direct confession of her feelings towards Chrom.  
"But, of course, your oblivious father thought she was suffering from a heat-stroke or something, and extended his arm to help her to the rest area. Cordelia does her best to…what were her words? ...'place her hands on his muscular forearm'? It was something along those lines. Then she faints."

Lucina couldn't help but laugh, clutching her stomach.

"But wait, it gets even better!" Robin continued, a wide smile on his face. "Soon after Chrom dropped Cordelia off at the rest area, she regains consciousness and walks off. And I, being me, sent Chrom after her to watch over her in case she gets a case of 'heat-stroke' again. Chrom walks up to her and starts talking. In the process, he sort of indirectly mentioned that he carried her to safety, and Cordelia, with her wild and vivid imagination, pictures Chrom sweeping her off of her feet as he carried her in his 'manly arms'. After that, she hobbles away.  
And when I went to talk to Chrom about what happened, he didn't have the slightest clue that Cordelia had feelings for him. He was worried that he made her nervous about her duty as a pegasus knight and that the heat was getting to her."

"I was told a completely different story of that event!" Lucina laughed. "Father and Mother must've changed the story to make it seem much less embarrassing."

"They most likely did," Robin agreed. "And the best part is, something similar to the summer event happened just yesterday, after we returned from the Ylisse-Plegia grey zone. I was on my way to meet Chrom when I saw him literally bump into Cordelia, and once again, Cordelia being Cordelia, absolutely freaks out when she notices that she bumped into Chrom. She goes red in the face as usual, and Chrom, being dimwitted as usual, praises her on her decision to rally the nearby border guard that came to our rescue. He then extends his hand for a handshake, which Cordelia returns after an eternity of hesitation. Then I guess the realization that she's holding hands with the one that she's head over heels for catches up to her, and she faints, which then leads to Chrom princess-carrying her up to the infirmary."

Lucina laughed again. Then she suddenly stopped, clasping her hands over her mouth as she stared over Robin's shoulder.

"Oohh? You seem to be having fun relishing in a little moment I had, _Robin_ ," a dangerously calm, yet familiar voice said from behind him.

"Ahaha…ahaa…haa…ey there, Chrom," Robin weakly said, not looking behind him. His laughter changed to a terrified voice instantly.

Chrom had an icy smile on his face as he slammed a hand down onto the tactician's shoulder. Robin mouthed the word ' _help'_ to Lucina before Chrom whirled him around.

"Heeeyy, buddy!" Robin said with a shaky voice. "How much of that did you hear? From your part? The summer beach part?" Robin was worried more of the latter since he openly stated that Lucina's parents were Cordelia and Chrom.

"Beach part?" Chrom asked, puzzled.

"Oh, thank Naga," Robin sighed, before Chrom tightened his grip on his shoulder.

"Naga won't be able to help you here, Robin," Chrom vowed.

"Ow ow ow Chromyou'rehurtingmyshoulderthatreallyhurtspleasestopI'msorryMarthpleasehelp."

Lucina smiled. "Apologies, Robin, but I'm afraid that I cannot involve myself in your little affair."

"Thank you, Marth," Chrom said, giving Lucina a small nod of appreciation.

"Marth, you evil, evil – ow ow ow ow ow! Don't you have some assassin's to be getting rid of?" Robin complained.

"Oh, they're taken care of," Chrom stated.

As if on cue, Cordelia, Sumia, and Lissa walked into view along with the taguel, Panne, and the ex-assassin, Gaius.

"Captain, you're hurting Robin," Cordelia said.

Chrom looked to think something over for a second. Then he loosened his grip by just a margin.

"Oh? Got a soft spot for our beautiful red-haired pegasus – OW OW OW I'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRY!"

Chrom retightened his grip on Robin's shoulder just as fast as he loosened it. A light blush could be seen on his face.

"Captain!" Cordelia's face was red as well.

"Robin, what in the world did you do this time?" a new voice said.

"Ah, Reina, have you finished up on your side?" Chrom asked, looking over Robin's shoulder.

"Yes, we did, and we're all alive and well. Stahl took a hit to the shoulder, but it wasn't anything that Maribelle couldn't easily mend," Reina said. Just behind her, Maribelle puffed up her chest with pride.

"As expected of one such as myself," Maribelle said proudly.

Lucina couldn't help but be taken aback. In front of her were her father and some of the heroes of her time, laughing and joking around, and a critical battle had just been won. Things of this sort would have never crossed her mind in the future.

"Good work, all of you," Chrom praised. "The assassins have either been defeated or fled, and the Exalt's life is – "

A voice cackled from the down the hall, interrupting Chrom.

"Well now, color me impressed. I didn't think that my plan would've been foiled," the voice said, as the figure stepped into the light. He was tall, dark skinned, and a narrow face. His sunken cheekbones were very visible, and he wore dark robes with the same color scheme as Robin and Reina's; black with streaks of gold and a purple-red inside. "Emmeryn was supposed to be an easy target," the man continued. "You will pay for interfering with my plans!"

Robin and Reina visibly tensed.

"Chrom, let go of my shoulder, right now," Robin said. His voice was an unusual low tone, with none of his normal joy and sass behind it.

Confused, Chrom released Robin, who immediately stepped forward, his eyes unmoving from the strange man.

"Oh, you…" the man sneered. "Oh, I know you…submit to me, and perhaps I might honor you with the truth!"

"Robin? What is he – Robin?" Chrom looked over at Robin, barely recognizing his friend.

The tactician's eyes were cold and almost lifeless. Bloodlust emanated from every inch of his body, something that Chrom had never seen before. Just by standing near him, Chrom felt a chill down his spine, and he wasn't the focus of Robin's bloodlust.

"No one interfere," Robin venomously said. "He's mine."

"Wrong, he's _ours_." Reina stepped up, standing right next to Robin. Just like her counterpart, Reina's had the same expression as Robin.

The man's eyes widened upon seeing Reina before he quickly regained his composure.

"Oh ho! And to think I'd also – ?"

The man didn't have time to finish his line as he found himself flying backwards and into a wall. The man fell to the ground, growling as he looked up. In less than a second, Robin closed the distance between them, which was at least a good ten meters, and threw him as if he was nothing.

"You would dare - " the man hissed, before a sharp pain exploded throughout his chest, and he was pinned to the wall. He looked down to see the hilt of a silver sword protruding from his ribs.

"It's been a while," Reina said as she and Robin approached the man.

"Wait! I can tell you everything! Your past, your identity, your - " the man pleaded.

"Oh, trust us," Robin interrupted him. "We already know everything, _father_."

The man's face paled. "H-how do you know?"

"Surely we wouldn't forget the face of father dearest?" Reina growled, ripping her sword out of his chest.

The man screamed in pain as he fell to his knees. He was then quickly grabbed by the neck and held aloft by a single arm from Robin.

"All hail Validar, leader of the Grimleal, descendant of the Fell Blood, and father of Grima's heart," Robin spat.

"You-you know?" Validar wheezed. "Then why?"

Robin tightened his grip on Validar's throat, crushing his air pipes. "You're going to have to be a little more specific than that," he snarled.

"Why…do you reject…your…purpose?" Validar choked.

"I would, will, and am, throwing away my purpose and my fate of godhood for my family," Robin hissed.

"I…I am your family! I am your FATHER!" Validar spat, raising an arm. Dark energy started gathering around his hand.

In a flash, Reina swung her sword, and Validar's hand fell to the floor, causing the dark mage to cry out in pain.

Robin placed his free hand on Validar's chest, channeling mana. "You may be my blood father, but you are NOT family," Robin calmly said. Then, he cast his magic.

Millions of volts of electricity coursed through Validar's body, frying his internal organs. Robin then sent a powerful bolt of lightning through Validar's heart.

Validar's body twitched a couple times before coming to a stop. Robin let go of his neck, and coldly watched as the lifeless body collapsed onto the floor, smoke rising off the body and charred clothing.

"Tch," Reina clicked her tongue. "I wish you would've let me kill him."

"It wasn't as satisfying as you'd think," Robin replied.

The two tacticians stood there, staring at Validar's body. They had without a doubt, changed the future. With Validar dead, neither of them would be able to be controlled, and the Fire Emblem wouldn't be stolen. Grima would never rise, and the world would know peace.

And yet, why did Robin feel so uneasy? There was no joy in his heart after killing his blood father. He felt hollow, if anything. He looked over at Reina, and he could tell that she felt the same way.

"Robin, Reina? Are you two alright?"

Chrom's voice brought him back to his senses. Turning around, Robin saw fear in most of the Shepherds' eyes as they silently stood a few steps away. Only Chrom and Lucina's eyes were void of said fear.

"Yeah," Reina quietly said. "Yeah, we're fine."

Chrom looked down at Validar's corpse. "Who…who is…was…he?"

"That…is Validar; the man that was the main reason why you died in the future, Chrom," Robin explained.

Surprised, Chrom took a step back, looking back and forth between the corpse and the tacticians.

"Let's check up on the Exalt, shall we?" Robin suggested.

Chrom slowly nodded, turning around to look at his group. "Shepherds, you've all done better job than I could have hoped for. You have my gratitude. Now, go get some well-deserved rest."

The Shepherds gave a stood straight and raised their right arm to their chest in a salute before leaving.

"Night, Captain." "G'night!" "I'll see you in the morning."

Only Robin, Reina, Lucina, and Chrom stayed behind. As they walked towards Emmeryn's door, Lucina looked at Robin's back. To be honest, seeing him so cold and ruthless scared her. Even if the man he just killed was the one that caused her father's death, it didn't feel right.

Chrom knocked on Emmeryn's door. "Emm, it's safe now," he said.

The door slowly opened. Phila stood aside, gesturing Chrom and the others to enter. Virion and Emmeryn were sitting down opposite of each other on the seats in the room.

"Thank the gods, you're safe," Chrom let out a sigh of relief, seeing his sister.

Emmeryn smiled at her brother. "It is you I have to thank, Chrom."

"Not just me, Emm," Chrom said, looking back towards his companions.

"Yes, indeed," Emmeryn lightly bowed to the remaining Shepherds behind Chrom.

"Emm, I'd like you to meet – huh?" Chrom looked behind him, looking for Lucina. "Where's Marth?"

Robin raised an eyebrow. "She's right here – she's not here…she was here a moment ago..."

Lucina, who was walking with them not even a minute ago, was now nowhere to be seen.

"Damn it, not again!" Chrom cursed, running out the door.

 _ **. . .**_

Lucina was out in the courtyard, walking back towards the maple grove. She had done her part; the assassination had failed and Emmeryn's life was saved. She looked behind her at the castle.

A large part of Lucina desperately wished that she could stay with her father but she knew she couldn't. The more time she spent around her parents, the higher chance of her identity being deduced. She would only be able to keep the Brand in her eye a secret for so long, even with Robin's help. She smiled wistfully, knowing that she would have to wait a couple of years until the Lucina of this time would be born, then she would be able to join her father and the rest of the Shepherds.

Turning around, she started walking once more towards the cleft in the wall.

"Going somewhere?" a voice said from the shadows. The figure stepped out to reveal her father under the dim lighting. "You have a bad habit of leaving without saying goodbye, you know," Chrom said, crossing his arms.

"Yes, I'm afraid I have a few bad habits," Lucina replied, avoid her father's gaze.

Chrom smiled. "But you also have good ones – you saved my life, as well as both of my sisters. Is there some way I can repay you? Some favor I can grant?"

"Hearing you offer is more than enough," Lucina said, returning the smile.

"But there must be something…"

"I already have what I came here for; the future has been rewritten," Lucina explained.

"The one with Grima's resurrection and my death?" Chrom assumed.

Lucina nodded, biting her lip. Something still didn't feel right. Her mother told her that Chrom was betrayed by his closest friend, yet minutes ago, Robin said that the man from earlier, Validar, was the main reason why Chrom was killed. It didn't add up.

"Marth? Is something the matter?" Chrom asked.

"It's…nothing," Lucina lied.

Chrom stared at her for a moment, trying to get a read of her. "You seem to be holding in a lot of secrets."

Lucina averted her gaze.

"If you wish not to tell anyone, I understand. But just know that I'm willing to hear anything that you wish to say," Chrom offered.

"Thank you, that means more to me than you know," Lucina said. There were many things that she wished to say at this moment, but she held her tongue.

"Someday, I hope to repay your favors," Chrom said.

Thinking back on what Robin told her before leaving for Regna Ferox, Lucina smiled. Her grin caused a bit of confusion in the prince, however.

"A wise man once told me," Lucina recalled, "that 'hoping for something means to leave it out of your hands and in destiny's', and that it's something that we should fight against; to take matters into our own hands."

"Heh, that sounds like something a certain tactician that I know would say," Chrom chuckled. "Very well, how's this then: I _will_ repay your favors someday."

Lucina smiled, gave her father a light bow, and turned around to leave. Climbing up the wall and into the hole, she looked back once more. Her father was standing there, and waved his hand in farewell. Lucina returned the gesture.

"Farewell, father," Lucina muttered under her breath. Then she jumped through the hole, landing on the other side. She stood up and gazed upon the peaceful view of Ylisstol. The streets were nearly empty. A few people could be seen walking around, and a couple shops looked to be open.

"Aww, you called me wise! I'm flattered!" a voice suddenly said from her right.

"EEK!" Lucina shrieked in surprise, drawing Falchion and pointing it at the source of the voice. A white haired man was sitting down against the castle wall, grinning up at her. "Robin?"

"That was quite the scream you just made," the tactician teased, standing up.

Lucina's face flushed in embarrassment. "Why are you here?" she asked in an attempt to change the subject, sheathing her sword.

"That's my line," Robin smirked. "I was just peacefully enjoying the night air when a princess decided to jump down next to me and startle me." To show his point, he stretched his arms wide. "How rude of you, disturbing my nap."

Lucina playfully shoved him. "You were not napping. You were just up in the castle not five minutes ago," she countered.

"Who said I didn't jump down from that height, slow my fall with wind magic, then fall asleep on this very comfortable area?" Robin grinned.

"Knowing you, you might have actually done that," Lucina sighed. "You didn't…did you?"

Robin gave her one of those smiles that neither denied nor confirmed the truth. "Besides, I can't let you waltz on out without seeing you. It's sort of become a thing now."

It was true. Both events that she partook in, the night of the Risen attack and the duel at Ferox, ended with her and Robin talking before she departed.

"Very well, what do you wish to talk about?" Lucina asked.

Robin stared at her blankly. "Uhh..."

"I can't believe it," Lucina gasped. "The great Robin didn't plan this far ahead?"

"This was all on a whim," Robin admitted, slightly blushing. "Getting to this point _was_ me thinking a couple steps ahead, and I was hoping that I would either think of something to talk about or it would come up."

Lucina laughed. "Well, the night is still young, and I do believe there's a couple places to eat still open at this hour," she replied, glancing over at the city.

"To be asked by a lovely princess such as yourself to join her for dinner would be my honor," Robin said, gracefully bowing.

"Oh my," Lucina giggled, her cheeks turning a slight pink in color. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were courting me."

Grinning widely, Robin extended his arm. "Allow me to escort you, my princess."

"Why, thank you, master tactician," Lucina replied, taking his arm.

The two time travelers walked down the road, unaware that up from one of the castle balconies, they were being spied on.

"Careful, Robin, you wouldn't want to let Chrom find out that you're taking his daughter out to dinner without him knowing or his consent," a white haired woman giggled. "I'm not too sure how he'd react to his daughter being swept off of her feet."

"Reina, what're you doing out here?" a playful voice chirped.

"Oh, Lissa!" Reina turned around. "I was just…enjoying the scenery."

"The town is beautiful, isn't it?" Lissa sighed.

"Yes, it is," Reina replied, though the town wasn't the focus of her attention.

"I'm headed off to bed now. Are you coming?" Lissa asked.

"I'll head back in a couple minutes," Reina said, smiling at the young princess.

"Okay, but don't stay out too late! Wouldn't want to catch a cold," Lissa quipped, skipping down the hall.

Smiling, the female tactician peered over the balcony once more, capturing the image in her head before heading inside the castle.

* * *

 **Hey all! Sorry that it took an entire week for this chapter. Things came up. A** **nyways, this one's done, and I can cross [Chapter 6: Foreseer] off.**

 **Some of you may be wondering why Lucina seems so off character; why is she not serious, or Lucina-doesn't-understand-the-concept-of-jokes-and-humor-so-why-is-she-making-so-many-jokes. The answer to that is from an earlier chapter. Since Lucina spent so much time around Robin growing up, she slowly picked up on a few things, giving her the sassy-ness and playfulness that she has in this story. Not the greatest reason, but oh well.**

 **Anyways, I'm freaking tired (it's a few minutes from 6 in the morning). Spent the night finishing this chapter, reading over, editing, and revising just to get this out. I'm losing sleep cause of you readers. (jk, love you all).**

 **And with that, I will end this here. I'll see you lovelies in the next one!**

 **Also, on a side note, what do you guys think on this pacing? Too slow, too fast, going at a good pace? I personally feel like it's a little rushed despite my efforts to slow it down a little. Thoughts?**


	12. (XII) Field Expedient

**Hey everyone! Two things.**

 **1\. Sorry for the major delay in this upload, and the shorter length of this chapter. I...may or may not have possible accidentally spilled coffee over my laptop the day after uploading Ch.11, which in turn, caused my laptop to fizzle out. And my dumbass decided to save my story progress on my laptop alone, so good-bye to that. So now, like a smart person, I'm writing everything from here on out on Google Docs and saving it to my Cloud so that I won't lose my progress and can continue writing on any device.**

 **2\. Huge thanks to all of you. This story broke 10k viewers a couple days ago. Ten. Thousand.  
That's like...a lot. I know there's a lot other FanFics out there that have hundreds of thousands of views, but for me, even 1,000 views wasn't expected when I first started this story. And now we've gone 10x that amount (did I math right? I hope I did. Math was never my strong point), so seriously, thank you all, readers, reviewers, followers, favorite-ers alike.**

 **Enough of that, here's Chapter 12, 'Prelude to Disaster'! Enjoy!**

* * *

A small family was hiding in a small cupboard in their home. The mother was desperately holding onto her son and daughter, both no older than the age of eight. All three of them were clearly terrified, and the mother had her arms wrapped around her children in a protective manner.

"Mommy, I'm scared," the daughter whimpered.

"Shh, everything's going to be okay, everything's going to be okay," the mother whispered, stroking her daughter's hair. Despite her words, she held fear in her heart that none of them would survive the night. Her own words served as a reassurance to herself more than anything.

Outside of the cramped cupboard, dull footsteps could be heard along with raspy voices. The scratching of metal could be heard from swords and axes being dragged through the floor. As the footsteps drew closer to the cupboard, the mother hugged her children tighter. Both of the children had tears pouring out of their eyes from pure terror, but they were smart enough to at least cry silently, as any noise would without a doubt reveal their hiding spot.

The mother peaked through a crack in the cupboard's door, catching a glimpse of one of the monstrosities lurking outside. It was human in shape, but also couldn't be anything further from one. Its skin was a dark purple color and rotting in multiple places. Dark grey slime oozed from orifices throughout its body, and one of them was missing an entire arm. Their eyes were the worst part, however. Gleaming red eyes that seemed to penetrate your very soul shone menacingly in the darkness, leaving a trail of red light in their wake. The people of the land called these monsters, Risen, and aptly so, since they were dead bodies that rose from the dead by a dark and powerful magic.

The nearest Risen suddenly turned its head, its beady red eyes meeting the mother's. Letting out a terrified gasp, the mother quickly moved her head away from the crack. She waited, counting the number of her heartbeats, hoping that the Risen had only looked over by coincidence.

Her fears unfortunately became reality when the Risen let out a raspy growl and its footsteps could be heard coming closer and closer by the second. The footsteps stopped right in front of the cupboard. For a brief moment, nothing could be heard except for the mother's own heartbeat. Then the Risen swung its axe down on the door, tearing away a large chunk of wood.

Both of the children let out a terrified shriek, screaming at the top of their lungs as the Risen grabbed door and yanked it off of its hinges. Towering over the crouched family, the Risen raised its axe once more. The mother pulled her children in as close to her as possible, using her own body as a shield when a sudden crash sounded from across the room.

The Risen turned its head in time to see the flash of iron before it was decapitated. The horrified family slowly looked up as the Risen's head fell to the floor with a sickening wet thud. As the rotten corpse disintegrated into a purple mist, they saw their savior standing in their midst.

A girl, looking to be around the age of seventeen or eighteen was looking down at the family. Even with the dirt and grime, the mother could see the girl's natural beauty. Navy blue hair flowed down behind her shoulders in twintails and her scarlet eyes shone brightly upon seeing the family.

"I found survivors!" the girl called out to her left.

Hurried footsteps came from the other end of the room. Another girl appeared next to the first girl. Like the former, the second girl had the same navy blue hair, only hers flowed freely down her back, stopping just under her shoulders. Also like the first, the second girl was also quite beautiful, but unlike the first girl, her eyes were a cerulean blue instead of scarlet.

"Great work, Severa," the second girl said, placing her hand on the first girl's shoulder.

"Of course, did you expect anything less?" the first girl, Severa, scoffed. Despite her harsh words, the mother could tell that she was happy with the praise given.

The second girl looked at the mother. Her cerulean blue eyes seemed to pierce through her. As the mother paid closer attention, she saw a small mark, one very familiar, emblazoned on the girl's left pupil.

"My name is Lucina, and this is my sister, Severa," the girl said, holding out her hand.

The mother reached up, grabbing Lucina's hand. Despite her young age, Lucina's hand felt strong and comforting. Then it finally clicked in the mother's head.

"Princess – no, Exalt Lucina, and Princess Severa," the mother gasped, quickly standing to her feet and bowing.

"Please, Lucina is just fine," the Exalt warmly smiled.

Upon seeing her smile, the mother's tears finally spilled out. Such warmth was a thing that was thought lost in this forsaken world, and seeing such as kind smile from the Exalt reminded the mother of days long past.

"The Exalt and Princess?" the boy chirped, staring at Lucina with wide eyes.

"We rescued by Exalt and Princess!" the girl chimed in, beaming.

Lucina smiled at the children. Her strong presence alone seemed to take away their worries and fears.

"My comrades are gathering at the town entrance," Lucina said to the mother. "We'll escort you there and to a nearby safe area."

The mother broke down into sobs of relief and joy. "Oh, thank you, thank you!" she sobbed, grasping Lucina's hand.

"Luce, we need to go," Severa warned. "There were far too little Risen in the area, so we need to leave now before we're ambushed."

Lucina nodded at her sister's words. The Risen always traveled in large groups, so where one was, the rest would most definitely follow.

Severa walked ahead of the group, making sure that the way forward was safe to travel. Both her and Lucina ingrained a teaching into every fiber of their beings from a young age from a certain tactician.

 _'Rushing leads to carelessness, and carelessness to trouble. But being fast doesn't mean being careless, so when needed, hustle, don't hurry.'_

"Tch, I know, Robin…" Severa muttered to herself.

"Severa? Did you say something?" Lucina asked from behind her.

Severa shook her head. "It's nothing, Luce."

The group continued forward, hiding in the shadows whenever they came across a few Risen. Under normal circumstances, Lucina wouldn't hesitate in taking out two or three Risen, especially with Severa at her side. But with the two of them acting as both escorts and guards to civilians, even a small risk could easily escalate into a disaster. Silently, Severa lead the other four through shadows and alleys, avoiding the undead at all costs.

Up ahead, the main road could be seen, and turning the corner would be the town entrance. Severa quickened her pace slightly, stopping just at the corner. She peeked around the wall and saw…no one, which was planned. Extending her hand out into the street, Severa snapped her fingers twice, each one causing a small blue spark to alight per snap.

Before entering the town, Lucina split her friends up into four teams: Blue, Red, Green, and Yellow, with the last one only consisting Nah and Cynthia as they watched the skies. They needed a way to communicate with one another, so one of their members, Laurent, thought of quick sparks as signals. One spark would mean that the group was returning, two would mean that they found survivors or civilians, and three would mean that they hit a snag, or complication, and each group would have their own colors to go with it.

Both Lucina and Severa weren't the most efficient in magic, but they were adept enough to cast what was dubbed as D-Rank spells such as the El-casts, so lighting a small flame was a piece of cake.

Lucina waited patiently for Severa to give her the signal to move up. After a few seconds, her sister looked back, nodding. Lucina quietly moved up with the small family behind her, stopping just behind Severa.

"Red team is at the entrance, farthest house on the right," Severa whispered. "Green team is a little ways down the street, no survivors."

Lucina bit her lip. Of the three ground teams, only hers was able to save people. "Okay, let Green team go first since they're further into the town. If they get ambushed, we'll be close enough to help," Lucina whispered.

Nodding, Severa extended her arm into the street again. Lighting a small blue flame at the tip of her index finger, she made a quick series of signals. Down the street, a green O was spotted, letting the others know that they understood.

A moment later, four figures emerged, quickly moving down the street. As they got closer, Lucina was able to make out her friends, Owain, Inigo, Kjelle, and Brady. The four didn't make a single sound (Kjelle had taken off her heavy armor for this mission) as they quickly ran by Lucina and Severa. Owain gave them a quick nod as he passed by.

Lucina watched as they made their way towards the town's exit, and the far right house's door opened. From it, Red team ran out, consisting of Gerome, Yarne, Noire, and Laurent. The two teams crossed the town walls, vanishing behind them. A second later, a red circle appeared, giving Lucina and Severa the 'Go' to make their way down the road.

Lucina and Severa quickly turned the corner with the family, quietly running down the street. Halfway down, however, rapid red sparks came from the village entrance.

 _Danger._

"Hide!" Severa hissed, ducking into an alleyway.

Lucina crouched behind a large pile of rubble while the mother and children hid behind a destroyed wagon. Peeking over her cover, Lucina looked down the road from where they came from. What she saw made her skin crawl.

A wall of rotting purple skin and red eyes could be seen as a large group of Risen bumbled down the road. Lucina didn't even have to count to know that the number of Risen was around fifty, greatly outnumbering the Lucina's group by at least five-to-one.

Biting back a curse, Lucina ducked under her cover once more. With luck, the group of Risen would turn a corner and they could go on their way to escape. If not, she and her friends would have to high-tail it out of there. Despite their slow and awkward walk, the Risen could run at alarming speeds, and Lucina wasn't sure that she'd be able to protect herself, her friends, and the family all at once while on the run.

Lucina waited, her hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw it the instant she saw a Risen turn the corner of her hiding spot. The guttural growling sounds drew closer and closer, then stopped just on the other side of the rubble. Lucina drew her sword out an inch before a loud clattering sound came from down an alleyway just to the her left. At once, the Risen turned towards the sound and started moving down the alleyway in the direction of the sound.

Letting out a deep breath that she didn't know she was holding, Lucina slowly peeked over the top of the rubble, checking for any Risen. Once she was confident that none of the undead remained, she stood, signaling the family and her sister that it was safe. The group ran down the road as fast as they could.

"Lucy! Severa!"

The two royals were tackled by a brunette the moment they cleared the town walls.

"Hello there, Cynthia," Lucina smiled at the pegasus knight.

"I was so worried!" Cynthia cried out, hugging the princesses tighter. "I thought the Risen would find you and Severa! Thank the gods that Laurent got there in time!"

Lucina arched an eyebrow. "Laurent?"

She looked over at the mage, who simply nodded.

"I caved in a portion of a house to distract the Risen," Laurent explained. "It was quite the tedious task at this distance, and I was worried that I wouldn't not be fast enough."

"You have my gratitude," Lucina thanked the mage.

"I hate to break up this moment, but shouldn't we be going?" Severa huffed, struggling to push a clingy Cynthia off of her. Despite her efforts, Cynthia held fast to the princess who couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"You're right, we should go," Lucina nodded. She looked back towards the family that she and Severa rescued. "We'll be safe soon - " her voice fell short upon seeing the family.

A dark purple energy was swirling around at the mother's feet, and soon rose to envelop both her and the children in a mass of purple energy. The children of the Shepherds each readied their weapons and wordlessly formed a circle around the mass, unsure of what to expect. They faltered, however, when a cackle came from inside the dark mass. The energy dissipated, and from where the family once was now stood a hooded figure. Dark magic swirled around the figure's body, making it difficult to discern any features aside from two glowing red eyes.

"Grima…" Lucina gasped.

Each one of her friends took a step back, startled at the unexpected arrival of the Fell Dragon's avatar.

"I must applaud you, little princess," Grima laughed, his very voice sending shivers down her spine. "To think that you've gotten this far is quite a feat."

Grima looked down, opening and closing his hand as if he was testing it. "I was not expecting the family to be in hold of so much magical energy. Perhaps the children had great potential had they grown up. No matter; they're now serving a greater purpose, to be a part of me!"

Lucina let out a yell as she lunged forward, bringing Falchion down on Grima's neck. Grima merely laughed as the blade passed through his body harmlessly. As Lucina jumped back, Gerome and Owain both attacked, bringing down an axe and sword respectively. Like Falchion, both of their weapons passed right through Grima as the avatar cackled as their efforts.

Raising an arm, Grima released powerful wave of magic around him, sending Lucina and the others flying in different directions. Before they even landed, Grima started casting another spell, causing the earth to shake and split apart.

"All your efforts are for naught!" Grima laughed, spreading his arms wide. "And I shall personally see to your end, here and now!"

Lucina stood on shaky feet as the ground around Grima's avatar collapsed, creating a large chasm, with bright purple light pouring out from it. From the depths of the chasm, a bloodcurdling roar sounded as a gargantuan dragon flew out from the ground and into the skies. A city-sized dragon loomed in the darkness as it let out another roar.

"Mankind has lost!"

Grima's voice from the dragon rang and echoed through the air, his voice sounding like a knife scraping against metal.

"You cannot change the past," Grima continued, as if he knew of their plan to travel through time. "There is no future for mankind!" Six gleaming red eyes shone from Grima's head as he opened his eyes, gazing upon the future children. "Each of your fathers and mothers...are dead, little ones."

Grima laughed as he arched his head back. Purple fire started to gather around the dragon's maw, glowing brighter by the second.

"Now it is your turn...to die!"

Grima's voice sounded directly in each of their heads as the Fell Dragon unleashed a torrential stream of purple fire down upon the children.

* * *

"UWAAHHH!"

Lucina shot straight up on her bed, breathing heavily from her nightmare. Cold sweat was pouring down her face and her forehead was in quite a lot of pain. Looking around, she slowly calmed down, realizing that she was residing in the room of an inn. The threat of the Fell Dragon was only in her dreams and she managed to control her breath.

"Urrgghhh…" A groan came from the ground next to her.

In confusion, Lucina looked over the side of her bed to see a familiar white haired tactician sprawled on the floor.

"Robin? Why are you on the floor?"

"Errgg...good morning to you too, princess," Robin muttered, sitting up while rubbing his forehead.

"Did you hurt your head?" Lucina asked.

Robin glared at her. " _I_ didn't hurt my head, _you_ did."

Lucina scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, not sure what he meant, her own forehead throbbing as well. Her eyes widened as she managed to put two and two together.

"I hear you screaming pain as I walked by your door, so I enter, only to see you in a nightmare," Robin explained. "I rush over in an attempt to wake you when you decide to headbutt me as hard as you can."

Lucina blinked. "Pfft...ahaha...ahahahahaha!"

"This is what I get for trying to help out: a headbutt and laughter at my pain," Robin grumbled.

"I-I'm sorry - no, I'm not sorry," Lucina admitted, laughing harder. "It's your fault for entering a girl's room without asking."

Robin threw his arms up into the air in exasperation, mumbling a string of incomprehensive words under his breath. Despite his actions, Robin bore a smile on his face.

After the attempt on Emmeryn's life, Robin and Lucina snuck away to a small cafe. The two spent a couple hours sharing stories (mainly about Chrom and his mishaps), eating some sandwiches, and trying a new drink that the owner of the cafe called "coffee", which Robin liked. Unlike tea, it had a much stronger flavor and an aromatic smell. The two then rented separate rooms at an inn before resting for the night.

"I've been meaning to ask this for a while," Lucina started, swinging her legs off the bed. "Would you mind having a sparring session with me?"

"I'm not against it, but may I ask why?" Robin asked, slightly surprised at the unexpected question.

"I saw the way you fight last night and it dawned on me how weak I am," Lucina explained. "In the inevitable wars and many battles to come, I must get stronger in order to protect my father."

"Fine by me," Robin shrugged. "Would you like to go to the castle's training grounds?"

Lucina shook her head. "I wish to avoid as much contact with the Shepherds for now."

Robin nodded. "Alright, we can head to the outskirts of the city then. Not often do the Shepherds go there, or anyone in fact."

"That sounds perfect."

"But first - " Robin stuck up a finger. "Let me buy a sword. I've gone without one for a while now and the lack of one has been biting me in the ass for far too long."

 _ **About time you got a new sword.**_

 _Hush. At least I remembered this time._

 _ **Just don't try and use reinforcement magic on it for now. You saw how poorly it went the other day.**_

 _It'll come in time...and with practice…_

 _ **Which is something that you can't really afford right now since you're about to go sparring with the princess. It'd be a shame if your sword broke in the middle of your sparring session.**_

 _Then I'd use my fists._

 _ **Very civil.**_

 _I don't like you…you know that?_

 _ **Heh, sounding a lot like a certain prince that we know.**_

 _I take it back. I hate you._

 _ **That's even more spot on. *clap clap clap***_

 _ARGH - Wait...how the hell did you clap with the hands you don't have?_

 _ **...that's a good question...and one that I do not have an answer for…**_

 _Gods dammit._

 _ **To be fair, me, this is you you're speaking to.**_

 _Don't you dare step into that topic again, or I swear -_

 _ **What, you're going to harm me? Good luck with that.**_

 _AAAAGGGHHHHHHHHH!_

* * *

"It was Plegia! I'm certain of it!" Chrom yelled, slamming his fist down onto the table. "They'd do anything for the Emblem."

Chrom, Emmeryn, Frederick, and Phila were gathered in Emmeryn's room. Chrom called for a meeting immediately in the morning to discuss the matter of the assassination.

Looking over at his older sister, Chrom spoke again. "Emm, you can't stay here. Come to Ferox where it's safe."

"And leave the people undefended?" Emmeryn replied. "War is at our borders, Chrom. Do you expect Ylisse to stand against Plegia without a leader?" Pausing for a moment, she continued in a softer tone. "They must know that their exalt stands with them."

"But what if something happens to you? What then?" Chrom asked.

"Your Grace, perhaps you might relocate to the eastern palace for the time being?" Frederick suggested.

"I must agree with Frederick, milady," Phila said. "The other kingdoms would know nothing of it, and you would be safer."

"Yes, please. At least that," Chrom urged. "I can't leave for Ferox with you right in harm's way."

Emmeryn stayed silent for a few second, mulling over the suggestion. "Very well," she finally said.

"Thanks, Emm," Chrom let out a sigh of relief. "I mean it. We'll escort you to the palace before we head north of the border." Standing up, he continued. "We'll leave tomorrow morning."

Frederick shifted slightly on his legs. "Milord?"

"I know what you're thinking, Frederick, but half of the Shepherds are out fending off some bandits on an island just southeast of Ylisstol, so we'll have to wait for them," Chrom explained. "Not only that, it's midday now, and Robin's been off Naga knows where ever since last night. I'm not going to leave without him."

"Very well, milord," Frederick aptly said. "I'll notify the other Shepherds."

"Thank you, Frederick."

* * *

"Robin?"

"Yes, Virion?"

"May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why are we laying down in the town-square?"

"You know that girl that you tried to flirt with? Red shirt, white skirt and leggings, golden colored hair, cute little bow on top?"

"Ah, yes, she was a fine woman, and her black haired companion was a beauty despite her efforts to hide it underneath that dress."

"The girl in red punched you in the face and knocked you out while the other said something like 'Unacceptable!'".

"Oh...I-I see…"

"Yup."

"But that fails to explain why you're lying down on the ground alongside me."

Robin turned his head to look at his friend. "I'm lying down next to you so everyone would think that we're just relaxing. If it was just you, then it'd be quite obvious that you were unconscious."

"Ah, you have my sincerest of thanks, my dear Robin," Virion said.

"None needed," Robin replied. Rising to his feet, he dusted himself off before extending his hand to Virion. "It seemed only fitting to help out a friend."

Smiling, Virion took Robin's hand. "Even more-so then."

"Come on, Frederick is calling for the Shepherds, and I'd rather not be late," Robin said. "Gods know what he'll think of as punishment, and I'd rather not go through an extra hour of his training."

"I shudder at the thought", Virion said. "Let us make haste then, shall we?"

"Race you there?" Robin grinned, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"I, Virion, raciest of racest, gladly accept your challenge," Virion bowed. "May I suggest that the loser buys the winner a round of drinks?"

Robin's grin widened. "Looks like you'll be buying then," he chuckled, before vanishing into thin air.

"Wah - what?" Virion stepped back, startled at Robin's sudden disappearance. Looking around, Virion saw Robin in front of the road leading to the castle gates.

"I'll see you in the castle!" Robin called out, vanishing and re-materializing further down the road.

"That's cheating!" Virion yelled back, running after Robin.

* * *

"That...that's cheating...teleporting is cheating…"

Virion was hunched over as he gasped for breath, glaring at a smiling Robin.

"You never said that the use of abilities was not allowed," Robin replied, handing the archer waterskin pouch.

"I did not know...that you could...teleport…" Virion said between gulps of water.

"To be fair, the last time I tried it I ended up teleporting in the opposite direction that I wanted to go," Robin recalled. "And the first time I tried it, heh, I was rendered unconscious for a few days. The second time, I expended all my mana and ended up in Rosanne. Took me another few days to warp back to Ylisstol."

"Rosanne…" Virion murmured, a shadow passing over his face.

 _Ah, that's right, Virion's the duke,_ Robin remembered, seeing his friend's face.

"Don't worry so much about Rosanne, Virion," Robin said, clapping his hand onto the archer's shoulder. "They'll be fine on their own, and they'll manage for another couple years."

Virion was taken aback at Robin's words. "How do you - "

"I'm from the future, remember?" Robin grinned, spreading his arms wide. "Your country and its people will be safe, Duke Virion."

Virion's eyes widened upon hearing his old title before his eyes softened. "Thank you, Robin," he said. "I feel as though a large burden was lifted off my shoulders."

"Happy to be of assistance."

"Now then, that's enough wallowing in pity. What say we find ourselves some lovely ladies as we dine on some wine later today?" Virion offered. "I trust you'll be able to keep me company, for just earlier, I was talking with a man who had a great taste in women."

"That sounds like the Virion everyone knows and has different feelings towards," Robin laughed.

"Of course. And this man was unlike anything I've ever seen. A light blue colored top with a white fur lining, black pants, gloves that reached up to his elbows, and the most fabulous of hair styles, second only to mine," Virion smiled. "And like you, he was suffering from amnesia!"

Robin perked up. "What was his name?"

Virion paused, his brow furrowing. "Well now, that's quite strange. I can't seem to remember."

"Really?"

"I'm afraid so. I'm cycling through every name that I've come across recently, but none of them seem to ring a bell."

"Not much we can do about that then," Robin sighed. "Though, you are buying the drinks when we go since I won the race," Robin added, grinning maliciously.

"Very well," Virion sighed. "Though next time, teleporting is not allowed."

"Ha! Fair enough," Robin chuckled. "But that doesn't mean that I can't fly with the use of wind magic."

Virion was struck speechless at Robin's comment as he tried to find the right words to make a retort when a cheerful voice called out from further in the castle hallway.

"Robin, Virion? Will you be joining us for the meeting?" Sumia called out, grabbing the two men's attention.

"Yeah, we'll be there soon," Robin answered, looking over his shoulder.

"To refuse an invitation from a beauty such as you would harm my soul," Virion added, flaunting his hands.

Sumia blinked. "Umm...sure? I'll see you two there, I suppose," Sumia said quizzically.

"Heh, I don't think Sumia understood the not-so-hidden meaning behind your words," Robin said as he stared at Sumia scratching her head as she walked down the hall.

"Ah, yes, but all the more worth it in the end," Virion replied, smiling. "Women that are a challenge are always worth it in the end, for they are the grandest of women."

"I'd tread lightly around both her and Frederick if I were you," Robin cautioned. "Frederick might not be so keen on your advances on her."

"Whatever do you mean - oh. OH!" Virion's eyes widened as he figured out what Robin was implying, causing the tactician to burst out laughing.

"It's a maybe between those two," Robin added. "I'm not too sure if they'll fall for one another in this world."

Virion frowned. "Be that as it may, I would rather not get on Frederick's bad side. The man can get quite terrifying if he wishes."

"Pfft, that is indeed true," Robin laughed, walking down the hall. "Which is why it's best to not keep him waiting, right?"

The two walked through the halls of Ylisstol castle and towards a room designated specifically for the use of Shepherds by the Exalt. Upon entering, Robin immediately noticed that only a portion of the Shepherds were there.

Seated around a large table was Chrom, Frederick, Sumia, and Stahl.

"Where are the others?" Robin asked, taking a seat next to Chrom.

"Maribelle is helping Duke Themis with some internal affairs, while Reina took Lon'qu, Lissa, Miriel, Gaius, and Kellam to fend off some bandits just off the southeast border," Chrom explained. "Panne, the taguel, vanished off into the night. Sully and Vaike are still in the infirmary and should be getting out - "

"Who's still in the infirmary?" a husky voice interrupted Chrom, followed by the room's door being flung open. Sully and Vaike both entered the room with haughty grins, having bandages wrapped around their head and midsection respectively.

"Sully, Vaike!" Chrom exclaimed, surprised at their arrival. "Are you two well enough to be moving around?"

Sully scoffed. "Of course, it'll take a helluva lot more than that to take me out," she replied while Vaike just laughed beside her.

"Glad to hear it," Chrom smiled. "Please, sit," he waved his hand over a couple of the many empty seats.

"Now then, shall we get on with the meeting?" Frederick stated as Vaike and Sully took their seats. "As you all know, assassins managed to infiltrate our castle and almost got to the Exalt. Since we have no leads, we will be escorting the Exalt to eastern castle tomorrow morning."

Stahl raised a hand. "Why the eastern castle?"

"If the assassins managed to get inside the castle once, then they can do it again," Chrom stated. "And I can't leave for Ferox to gather reinforcements while leaving Emmeryn in harm's way, so she'll be relocated for the time being for her safety."

Silence crept up around the room.

"We really are going to war, aren't we?" Sumia said quietly. Her hands were trembling lightly on the table.

"Don't worry, this one won't be nearly as long or as costly as the previous one," Chrom promised the pegasus knight as Frederick placed his hand reassuringly on her shoulder.

 _Oh? Nice, Frederick,_ Robin smiled to himself.

"Will all of the Shepherds be coming along?" Robin asked.

"Yes, I can trust no one else to come with us to protect Emmeryn," Chrom answered. "We also can't afford to bring too large of a group else we'd be noticed, so the Shepherds are a perfect group of escorts." He looked over at the two bandaged Shepherds.

"You better bet that I'm coming along," Sully said, pointing a finger at Chrom before he even had to chance to say anything else.

Vaike slammed his hand onto the table. "Don't forget about me, either! I missed out on the fun last night, so I am not going to miss this one!"

"Vaike, if all goes well, there won't even be any fighting this time around," Chrom pointed out.

Vaike blinked. "You're right, but you'll need me if something does happen," Vaike said.

"He raises a good point," Robin laughed.

"Just...everyone just prep up for tomorrow," Chrom groaned. "We're in for a long march which take a couple of days at least, so just be ready for that."

With that, the Shepherds all stood to leave. As they were leaving, Robin tapped Virion on the shoulder.

"Play you in a game of chess?" Robin asked, receiving a wide grin from the archer. "Loser buys the drinks."

"It'd be my pleasure," Virion replied.

* * *

Lucina rolled her shoulder, wincing as she stretched her sore muscles. She hadn't expected her spar with Robin to be so taxing on her body, and she was greatly paying the price for it. Every inch of her body was aching in pain as she started to make camp in the middle of the woods just off the main road.

The sun was starting to set so Lucina quickly gathered some firewood and piled them in the middle of a small ring of stones. Not a minute later, a fire was lit and Lucina started to roast a rabbit she had hunted and skinned earlier. Game was plentiful here compared to the future, and she was thankful that she had taken hunting lessons from both Gerome and Noire.

As her dinner was roasting, Lucina started to set up her hammock on a nearby tree. For such a simple design, the hammock proved to be very comfortable, especially compared to having a bedroll on a ground.

After setting up her hammock, she returned to the fire to check up on the rabbit. Seeing that it was still undercooked, Lucina sat down as she stared into the flames. The scene was greatly similar to her past, only this time, she didn't have the comfort of her friends. Her heart panged with worry as she thought of them. She had no way of knowing if they made it to this time safely or not.

"I hope you're safe out there...all of you...and especially you, Severa," Lucina whispered to herself.

* * *

"Achoo! *sniff*"

"You okay there, Severa? Didn't catch a cold, did you?"

Severa whipped her hair back. "I'm fine, Cynthia, it's just a sneeze."

The two girls were walking down an old road in a forest on the outskirts of Chon'sin. They had found each other almost instantly upon exiting through the portal and had been traveling together for a couple of weeks now.

"If you say so!" Cynthia chirped. "Maybe someone's talking about you?"

"As if," Severa scoffed. "Why would - "

"What ho, dear cousin and gallant pegasus knight!" a new voice yelled out from behind them.

"Oh gawds," Severa groaned, turning around. "Of all people, why did I have to get stuck with you two?"

Two boys around the same age as her walked up behind them. One was in a yellow coat while striking a very curious pose while the second ran his fingers through his grey hair.

"At least you only just met up with Owain," the grey haired boy said. "I had to deal with him for the past week! With no one else!"

"Wow, I almost pity you, Inigo," Severa said, rolling her eyes.

"Aw, come on guys!" Cynthia smiled. "At least we found each other, right?"

"Yeah, on the other side of the world. We were supposed to arrive near Ylisstol! How did we end up in Valm?!"

"Fret not, dear cousin," Owain exclaimed. "For we are but legends in the making, and - "

"And we're separated from the others and our parents by a large body of water," Inigo cut it, much to a disapproving Owain. "To make matters worse, Walhart the Conqueror is on his path of conquest, so the chances of us getting to port and hitching a boat to Ylisse is pretty small."

"Ah yes, Walhart the Conqueror!" Owain started again, waving his hand around dramatically. "A worthy opponent for the Scion of Legend!"

Three different reactions came from Cynthia, Severa, and Inigo as they watched Owain go about his theatrics. A giggle, rolling of eyes, and an exasperated sigh came from each of them respectively.

"I must say though," Inigo looked over at Severa. "Your new hair color suits you quite well."

"Sh-shut up about that!" Severa said, her face turning as red as her hair. "It's not like I wanted it to change! It just changed color the moment I arrived here!"

"Don't worry, Severa!" Cynthia comforted the princess. "Red matches you just as well as the blue did! Better, in fact!"

"If...if you say so…" Severa mumbled. "But don't think what you said makes me feel better or anything!" she huffed, briskly turning around and walking away.

Cynthia and Inigo followed Severa down the road.

"Why _did_ her hair change though?" Inigo whispered to the pegasus knight.

"I dunno," Cynthia shrugged. "She told me that her hair was blue until she left the portal. When she landed on the ground, her hair turned red."

"I wonder if anyone else's hair color changed."

"Maybe. Imagine if Lucina's hair also turned red; that'd be quite the sight."

Inigo laughed. "Yes, the princess clad in blue with bright red hair? What a clash of colors. Though, it wouldn't be far off judging from her fashion sense. Good thing Severa and Gerome helped put together Lucina's outfit."

"Her fashion sense is pretty bad," Cynthia giggled. "Which is weird since Severa is the exact opposite."

"Same with their personalities," Inigo added. "It's hard to believe that they're siblings from the way the two act. It's like night and day."

"By the way…"

"Yes?"

"Where's Owain?"

Inigo paused, turning around to see that their fourth companion was still flaunting about in the same spot he was before.

"Damn it, Owain…" Inigo grumbled.

"I'll get him," Cynthia offered. "Go catch up with Severa."

Inigo sighed again as he watched the pegasus knight run off. Despite their harsh childhood, Inigo was impressed that Cynthia was able to keep up her bubbly personality.

"Ah, Severa's getting away!" Inigo reminded himself. "Severa, wait! You and I have yet to grab some tea!"

* * *

 **Nothing much going on in this chapter. Action stuff will be in the next, so for those of you who like that, I hope you can be patient.**

 **So, as I said earlier, laptop fizzled out, so pretty much this entire chapter was typed up on my phone, which is another reason to the major delay. Typing away on the phone is nowhere near as fast as typing on a keyboard, and it doesn't help that auto-correct is an absolute BITCH!  
Half of the words kept getting swapped out for something else even though I typed it out correctly, such as "he" being swapped for "be", and "Severa" for either "Severe" or "Selena", which aggravated me to no end. Adding the words to my phone's dictionary didn't do crap either *angry huff***

 **As for my laptop, I unfortunately lack both the time and money to invest in a new one or repair it (stupid-ass college tuition and other over-priced crap. My wallet is crying). If all goes well, I'll be able to bring it to a repair shop in the next coming week(s), but until then...yeah...**

 **Once again, thank you for reading, hopefully you enjoyed, and thank you all. 10k+ views. Wow. I still can't wrap my head around that.**

 **Anyhoo, I'll see you in the next!**

* * *

 **P.S. If you readers wish to start reading another FanFic of FE:Awakening, I recommend checking out LucythePir8's latest story. It has a great start and comes in at a very unusual yet fantastic angle.**

 **Along with that, may I also recommend Captain Jack X's story, "Fire Emblem: The Next Adventure"? Also has a great start, and a character that's very similar to one of mine appears in there thanks to Captain Jack X's generosity.**

 **Enjoy both of their stories, everyone! :)**


	13. (XIII) Sacred Icon

"Tch...damn it!"

Robin cursed to himself as he failed once again. He was able to cast one of the more powerful spells of the Light elements back in his world, but now he couldn't seem to manage it at all. Channeling mana into his hand again, he held up his hand with his palm pointed at the ceiling of his tent. This time, a small white light, no larger than the size of his thumb, was created.

Unfortunately for Robin, the fact that he finally managed to recreate Light magic on his own shocked him, which in turn broke his concentration and the small light vanished.

"Uggghh…" Robin sighed, slumping down into his chair. "What a pain in the ass…"

It was the first night since he and the Shepherds left Ylisstol to escort Exalt Emmeryn to the eastern palace. They were camping out on a large plateau, and as many nights before, Robin was awake long past the time everyone else had gone to sleep. Or at least, mostly everyone.

"That was quite the sigh, Robin," a woman commented as she entered Robin's tent.

"Sorry, Reina," Robin greeted his otherworldly counterpart. "I hope I wasn't disrupting anyone outside?"

Reina stretched her arms into the air. "No, not really," she said. "I doubt anyone else here has their magic senses keen enough to sense what you were doing. Besides, I think everyone else is asleep." Curling her fingers into a fist, Reina cracked her knuckles before asking, "What were you doing anyways this late into the night?"

"I was practicing...this…" Robin opened his hand again, concentrating. After a second, he was able to create another small light in his hand.

"Woah..." Reina whispered. "Is...is that - ?"

"Light magic," Robin confirmed.

Reina stared in awe at Robin's magic for a few moments before speaking again. "I didn't think light magic still existed."

"It doesn't," Robin gave her a wry smile. "I was only able to find a two light-tomes back in my world. The first tome, Smite, was the equivalent of what we know as the El-tomes. I used that for the majority of my practice. The second, Judgement, would be the equivalent of our advanced spells like Bolganone, Thoron, and Rexcalibur, but just a little more powerful."

"That's amazing, I couldn't find anything like that in my world."

"There's a small island just off the west of the Demon's Ingle in Valm, have you heard of it?"

"It was mentioned once," Reina recalled. "I believe Say'ri called it the 'Garden of Giants'?"

Robin nodded. "After Walhart's defeat, I ventured off there a couple weeks before setting sail back to Ylisse. It was there where I found some ancient ruins guarded by a large group of highly exceptional fighters. After barely managing to defeat their leader and a few days of searching, I found a library buried beneath the ruins."

Reina went starry-eyed at the news of an ancient library.

"Most of the manuscripts there were in the forms of scrolls," Robin continued. "Unfortunately, time had gotten to them way before me, so the majority of them were crumbled to dust at the slightest touch, and the ones that were still intact were worn down so badly that I couldn't make heads or tails of them, much less read them. I was lucky to find anything at all, and more so for them to have been two Light-tomes."

"But you were able to cast Light magic just now, weren't you?" Reina asked.

"I wouldn't call this sort of thing 'magic' just yet," Robin shook his head. "At this level, it's nothing more than child's play, and doesn't have any use."

"But it's a start, right?"

Robin clasped his hand into a fist, extinguishing the feeble Light-magic. "I suppose. Strangely enough, Ice-magic is easier to cast than Light-magic, and I have more experience with using Light-magic."

To prove his point, Robin opened his hand again and created a mini snowstorm in the palm of his hand.

"Impressive, and to think that just a couple days ago you tried to cast a Fire tome in reverse," Reina teased.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Robin groaned.

"I'm sure it did," Reina deadpanned. "But can you make _these_ yet?"

The temperature noticeably dropped in Robin's tent as Reina put her hand out. Countless shards of ice started swirl around her open palm as they slowly gathered together to make a round ball of snow.

"Can't say I can," Robin said, before catching the mischievous smile on Reina's face. "Why are you smiling - Reina, don't you dare!"

Robin threw up his arms in a futile attempt as Reina's snowball flew past his guard, hitting him in the center of his forehead.

"Too late!" Reina laughed.

Brushing bits of snow off of his hair and shirt, Robin gave Reina an icy grin.

"You're...going to get me back for that, aren't you," Reina slowly said.

"Oh yeah, you better believe I will," Robin smiled.

"I uhh...I think I'll go get some sleep now," Reina said as she started backing out of Robin's tent.

"Wait, before you go," Robin called out, his voice turning serious. "That man who's traveling with us - who is he?"

Reina thought for a second before replying. "Ooohhh, him," Reina sighed. "All I know about him is from what Chrom told me. Apparently the man is one of the hierarchs of Ylisse, has been a good friend of House Ylisse for many years, and helped guide Emmeryn through the early years of her rule."

Robin's eyes narrowed.

"Why do you ask?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but something feels…"

* * *

"...off. Something feels off. I knew it, I FREAKING knew it!"

Robin curled his hands into fists as he watched the hierarch walk up to the Plegians. True to the uneasiness he felt last night, the Shepherds were ambushed by a large group of Plegians early into their march the following morning. To their left was a steep wall, and their right a cliff, leading to a furious river for below.

"Hold, Vasto, sir!" the hierarch yelled, waving his arms. "I am the man King Gangrel told you about! Did you not receive orders to take me into your protection?"

"I'll kill him. I am going to kill him," Robin growled.

The leader of the Plegians, who Robin assumed to be Vasto, jumped off of the wyvern he was on and walked up to the hierarch, distaste written all over his face.

"I've orders to protect a man, true..." Vasto coldly said, looking down at the hierarch. "But I see no man here! Only a pig! A rasher of a traitorous bacon that sold out his own sovereign!"

Robin blinked. He wasn't expecting Vasto, a Plegian under the Mad King Gangrel, to hold loyalty in such high regard.

"And what do we do with little piggies, hmm?" Vasto said, a cruel grin on his face as he looked back at his men.

The hierarch paled as he took a couple steps away from Vasto in fear. "Well, you...I mean, perhaps…you let them go free?" he stammered.

"Oh, are you a chicken now?" Vasto mocked the hierarch. "We've a whole barnyard in our midst, boys!"

The Plegians all laughed, hurling insults at both the hierarch and the Shepherds.

"Well, it doesn't matter what you are," Vasto sneered as the laughter died down. "The axe will fall just the same!"

Vasto turned around and walked back to his wyvern as one of the Plegian soldiers walked up to the hierarch, bouncing a large axe on his shoulder. The hierarch let out a pitiful scream, one that would be more akin to a certain barnyard animal than from a man, before his head rolled off of his shoulders and onto the ground.

A few members of the Shepherds grimaced at the sight of the hierarch's decapitation.

"Right! Now for the main event," Vasto looked back at Shepherds as he got back onto his wyvern. "By moon's end, they'll be erecting statues of me in the capital!" A small grin formed across his face as he imagined the sight of his statue made of gold.  
"Ho there! Ylisseans!" Vasto called out again. "Give me the Fire Emblem and your wench of a ruler, and you'll spare yourselves a gory end!"

The Shepherds all moved to form a defensive line in front of Emmeryn as they drew their weapons.

"Phila, take Emmeryn to the rear of the column," Chrom ordered. "We'll fend off these blackguards!"

The Wing-Commander nodded once before helping her liege onto her pegasus.

"Be safe, Chrom, Lissa, everyone," Emmeryn prayed as Phila took off.

"I'll take that as a 'No'," Vasto muttered. "Fine by me, more sheep to the slaughter then!"

"Robin, Reina?" Chrom looked at the two tacticians.

Robin bit his lip. "I'd like to say I knew this would happen, but unfortunately, this never happened in my time."

"Nor in mine," Reina added as she cracked her knuckles in anticipation. "But no worries. First thing we need to do is get rid of those archers. Sumia can't take flight until they're dealt with, and we'll need her in the air, fast.  
"Then there's the problem of what looks to be around a dozen wyvern riders, and Sumia won't be able to handle them all. At least, not alone." She looked over at Virion. "I'll need you to take down as many of those wyverns as fast as possible."

"Consider it down, my dear flower," Virion graciously said, nocking an arrow.

"Frederick?" Robin cut in. "Where's your horse?"

The knight frowned. "I'm afraid it may have eaten something not meant for horses earlier this morning."

 _ **Wow, Frederick not on his magically-appearing steed? That's a first,**_ _Reflet muttered._

 _I know, right? I was beginning to think his horse was some sort of super-horse._

 _ **Oops, sorry, didn't mean to distract you. You should probably finish up giving out those orders. Those Plegians don't seem to like waiting.**_

Looking up, Reina saw that the Plegians hadn't moved from their spot, but also looked to be quite impatient. Many of them were taunting the Shepherds while others inspected their weapons or tapped their feet on the ground.

"Right," Reina recollected her thoughts. "Sumia, can your pegasus support both you and Frederick while in the air?"

"For a while, yes!" Sumia beamed, scratching the neck of her pegasus. "She's quite strong, and won't have too much of a problem even with Frederick's bulky armor."

"Perfect, cause Frederick, you're with Sumia to help her against the wyvern riders," Reina said. "Mages and healers in the back, everyone else up front. Make two rows to swap out upon receiving an injury!"

The Shepherds moved according to Reina's orders. Robin found himself in the front row, next to a young man with a cooking pot on his head like a helmet.

"Hello, I don't think we've been acquainted," Robin said to the tinhead.

"O-oh, yes sir, the name's Donnel, sir!" Donnel stammered. "I joined the Shepherds two nights ago when Lady Reina saved my village from bandits, sir!"

 _Interesting, here's another difference from my world,_ Robin mused. _First time meeting Donnel._

"Pleasure to be working with you, Donnel," Robin smiled. "I'm Robin, one of two tacticians along with Reina to the Shepherds."

"Nice to meet 'ya - I mean, pleasure to meet you, Sir Robin!" Donnel quickly corrected himself.

Robin laughed, putting a comforting hand on Donnel's shoulder. "Please, don't mind the formalities. None of the Shepherds save a very select few (like Frederick and Sully to Chrom) will use them, so don't worry about it. Besides, we're all in a way a very disorganized family, so speaking to each other casually will makes things much easier."

Donnel let out a small sigh of relief.

"Also, not going to lie, hearing a 'Sir' in front of my name sounds weird," Robin added.

"Sorry, sir - er, Sir Robin - er, Robin, sir - oh tarnation!"

"No need to force yourself," Robin chuckled. "It'll come with time. Speaking of time, we're really short on it since the Plegians look to be running at us now."

The first line of Plegians were fifteen seconds away from coming into weapon range. Next to Robin, Donnel visibly paled as he gripped his lance so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Is this your first fight?" Robin asked.

"Yessir, I helped fight off some bandits with Lady Reina and all, but this is still very new to me," Donnel admitted.

"No worries, we've all been there," Robin smiled. "Just stay near me, and I'll be your support. I promise you'll get through this."

"Aw shucks, that's mighty kind of ya," Donnel said.

"Miriel, Ricken!" Reina yelled.

"I forgot about Ricken," Robin said to himself.

From the rear, Maribelle and Ricken both started to cast magic on the incoming Plegians.

"Elfire!" "Elwind!"

Fireballs and blades of wind descended on the Plegians, killing a few and injuring more, but it didn't slow them down a bit.

The Plegians must've brought along mages as well because they sent back fireballs of their own, aimed right at the Shepherds. Their magic attacks fell short however, stopped by a barrier wall from Reina.

"Donnel, allow me to show you the a small bit of what _real_ magic looks like, not that pitiful display our enemies just did," Robin grinned as he bent his knees slightly.

Leaping into the air, Robin held aloft a deadly spear of lightning as Reina dispelled her barrier. The Plegians faltered at the sight of a man suspended in the air holding lightning in his hands, and both Donnel and Ricken's jaw dropped.

With a small laugh, Robin poured more mana into his lightning spear before he threw it near the rear of the Plegian lines, where their mages and archers were concentrated. To the Plegians' surprise, Robin's magic seemed to vanish the moment it was about to hit them, allowing them to let out a sigh of relief. Their relief was very short-lived, however, when a large bolt of lightning struck from the sky, followed by multiple smaller ones, wiping out most of the ranged attackers.

 _ **Show off,**_ _Alternis muttered._

"Show off," both Reina and Chrom muttered as Robin returned to the ground.

"It got the job done," Robin laughed. "Sumia, you're clear to go! Virion, Miriel, Ricken, watch the skies!" He turned back to Donnel, whose mouth was still hanging open. "The floor's all yours, my friend," Robin said to Donnel, clapping his back.

With a confident grin, Donnel looked back at the Plegians, reassured in his survival due to Robin's display of power.

"Plegians!" Chrom yelled. "You want our heads? Come and get them!"

"Heh, someone's confident," Robin poked fun at Chrom.

"How can any of us not be after your little light show?" Chrom retorted, smiling at his friend.

"Careful now, wouldn't want to slip off Breakneck Pass and break your neck," Robin said, laughing at his own joke.

"Damn it, only you would make a joke like that in this situation," Chrom groaned.

Letting out a war cry, the Plegians advanced once more from only a few meters away.

To Robin's surprise, Donnel drew first blood as he stabbed his spear through a Plegian's chest. Drawing his sword, Robin blocked an axe of a second Plegian, allowing Donnel to strike, getting him his second kill in less than three seconds.

"Not bad, but don't get over-confident," Robin cautioned, blocking a few more blows aimed at Donnel. "Over-confidence will lead to mistakes, and mistakes lead to death."

"Yessir!" Donnel nodded, taking a step back as he used his spear's length to keep his attackers at bay.

On the other side of the Shepherds, Vaike and Stahl were having a little competition.

"That makes five!" Vaike yelled out as brought split a Plegian's skull in two.

"Eehhh, I'm only on three!" Stahl let out as he fought back his attacker.

A red armored knight quickly moved in on her horse, stabbing her spear through Stahl's opponent.

"You boys better put in more effort," Sully let out a hearty laugh. "That makes seven for me."

"Speak for yourself," Gaius yelled out from a few meters away from Sully. Using his agility from his previous profession, the thief quickly slipped between two Plegians, sinking a dagger in both of their backs. "That's nine and ten," Gaius grinned. "Sorry, I meant eleven," he added, bringing his dagger up behind him without looking and stabbing it another Plegian in the temple.

"Umm...guys? I'm on twelve...guys? Hello?"

"Damn it, Chuckles!" Sully brandished her spear at Gaius. "I am not going to lose to some thief!"

"Quit your yapping and focus!" a serious and deep voice said.

"Oh? Why the anger, Lon'qu?" Vaike laughed, swinging his axe down on another Plegian soldier. "Could it be that you're falling behind on the kill count?"

A nigh-unnoticeable grin formed on Lon'qu's face. "Seventeen."

"Huh? Didn't quite catch that," Vaike yelled.

"I'm on eighteen!" Lon'qu yelled back, cutting down another.

"WHAT?!" Sully and Vaike both stared at the myrmidon in disbelief.

"If you think my number's high, look at our stalwart prince and tacticians," Lon'qu quickly stated, avoiding Sully's gaze.

"Reina and Robin don't count," Gaius muttered. "They're both from the future, and Robin alone has at least fifty with his first attack."

Sully raised an eyebrow at the thief. "How'd you find out that they're from the future already?"

"Thief, remember?" Gaius tapped one of his ears. "Gotta have good ears if you're in the trade, and it's not like they didn't imply it the first night I joined."

"Right," Sully muttered, turning around to cut down another Plegian, only to have a green-armored knight lop off his head before Sully had the chance. "Stahl! That was my kill!"

"Well, you took mine earlier," Stahl said in defense.

"By the way, what's the captain on?" Gaius asked Lon'qu.

"I stopped counting his number after twenty," Lon'qu grunted. "And I was on thirteen then."

"Ha! As expected of Teach's rival!" Vaike boomed, kicking his enemy in the chest.

~Back on Robin's side~

"Very good: utilizing your weapon's reach and weapon advantage against those with sword!" Robin praised Donnel as he shot a bolt of lightning at one of the attackers. "But, be careful of those with axes," he added as one of the Plegians hooked his axe around Donnel's spear, throwing it aside. "Cause that can happen very easily.

In a flash, Robin stepped in, killing the axe wielder, then disarming another Plegian that was wielding a spear before shooting a bolt of lighting at said Plegian's heart.

"I got you a new spear," Robin grinned, tossing Donnel the stolen spear as he casually sidestepped a Plegian's sword without looking.

"Hraahh!" Donnel let out a roar as he lunged forward, sending his spear through two enemies with a single thrust.

Just before Robin turned back around to face the Plegians, Robin caught a glimpse of a red-haired pegasus knight bringing up the rear.

 _Is that Cordelia?_

 _ **Looks like it. I don't know anyone else with red hair like hers.**_

 _But Phila said that she was stationed at the border...oh gods no…_

 _ **I don't think time is on our side, as usual.**_

 _Tch, figures. Luck was never a thing for me in the first place._

Pooling a large amount of mana into his hand, Robin sent out a large spiraling cone of flames in front of him. Reina must've understood their situation the same way as Robin as she moved forward alone, dancing between enemy lines, swinging her sword and shooting magic simultaneously.

 _Hmm, I'm getting better at this,_ Reina thought to herself.

 _ **You mean tome-less magic?**_

 _Well, that too. But I mean dual-wielding both magic and sword at once._

 _ **That's quite similar to what Robin's doing.**_

 _More like he's copying my style._

 _ **Or maybe since he's finally using a sword and the both of you are essentially the same person, it's not surprising that you two have a very similar style.**_

… _or he's copying my style…_

 _ ***groan***_

 _But he normally using his fists while fighting. Why choose to use a weapon now?_

Almost as if to answer Reina's question, Robin disarmed a Plegian knight, taking his sword. A bright yellow light flashed from the sword's blade as it was coated in lightning.

 _Oh, that's why…_

 _ **Aaand he failed.**_

Just as Reflet said, Robin's stolen sword shattered in his hand, causing him to stare at the remaining hilt of the sword in disdain.

"Guess I need a lot more practice," Robin sighed, tossing the broken sword to the side.

A shadow appeared above Robin as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Out of instinct, he teleported back a couple meters next to Donnel, narrowly dodging an axe swung by Vasto.

"I'll splatter you across the canyon floor!" Vasto growled, bringing his axe up again.

"Donnel, I'll create an opening, and then it's all you," Robin said.

The young Shepherd gulped, nodding as he gripped his spear tightly.

"With me, then," Robin said, running at Vasto.

For the first time since arriving in this world and regaining his memories, Robin had a slightly more difficult time against a single opponent.

 _ **Looks like you're a bit out of practice,**_ _Alternis hinted._

 _Noted,_ Robin replied, parrying Vasto's swing and then rolling to avoid his wyvern's bite. _Blame *_ urk* _the lack of strong enemies - that's some pointy teeth - in this world as of now._

 _ **You know, you may not have a Wyrmslayer, but if memory serves, dragonkin are weak to lightning, which is -**_

 _ **-**_ _my specialty, many thanks._

Dodging another one of wyvern's bone crushing bites, Robin plunged his sword into the wyvern's exposed neck, piercing both its armor and scales. With his sword as the conductor, Robin sent a flood of lightning from his hands, through his sword, and into the wyvern's flesh, causing it to lash out and roar in pain.

"Donnel!" Robin yelled as he jumped back.

"Yessir!"

Donnel ran up, spear raised high and aimed at Vasto, who raised his axe in defense. To both Robin's and unfortunately Vasto's surprise, Donnel threw his spear instead of running forward and stabbing. The small surprise caused just enough of a delay in Vasto's reaction for Donnel's spear to pierce the Plegian's heart, sending him tumbling to the ground as his wyvern let out one last roar and collapsed.

Upon seeing their leader's demise, the rest of the Plegians turned around and fled.

"Woah there, no need to pursue," Robin said, putting his hand on Donnel's shoulder. The boy looked just about ready to give chase, and would have were it not for Robin's interference. "The battle's won, and killing an enemy whose back is turned and lost the will to fight isn't something you want to do, trust me. It'll leave more than a bad taste in your mouth."

Donnel took a deep breath, calming his nerves.

"You did well," Robin praised.

"Thank you kindly," Donnel smiled.

Patting Donnel on the shoulder, Robin motioned to the rest of the Shepherds. "Go meet up with the others and get that arm wound healed."

Donnel looked down at his arm, confused, his eyes widening as he saw a large cut on his left bicep.

"Gosh - I didn't - you don't reckon it's infected?" Donnel started to panic.

"Don't worry, I doubt it," Robin comforted him. "Even if it was, it's nothing that Lissa and Maribelle can't heal. Now hurry along before it does get infected."

Donnel nodded once before hurriedly running over to the healers. The rest of the Shepherds were huddled around Chrom and Cordelia, no doubt figuring out the reason why she left her station. Turning around, he walked over to Vasto, where he laid on the ground.

"Hey there," Robin said, noticing the man's chest rising and falling. "You still alive?"

"Spare me...your honeyed words...you Ylissean," Vasto glared at Robin.

"Sorry, but I'm not from Ylisse," Robin said, crouching down next to Vasto. "My name is Robin, a Plegian."

"You lie…" Vasto spat.

"Am I?" Robin took off his glove raised his hand, showing the back of his hand to Vasto. "Do you know what this is?"

Vasto's eyes widened in shock upon seeing the mark on Robin's skin.

"That's...the Mark...of Grima," Vasto wheezed. "A sign meant...for the host...of Grima's body...his avatar…"

Robin closed his eyes and slipped his glove back on. That was the same thing Validar has said to him in his previous world, and he has hoped for it to be a lie. But hearing Vasto just now affirmed his fears.

"Why would...the high priest's son...work with...the Ylissean dogs?"

"Because that man took everything from me," Robin said vehemently. "That man is not my family, nor do I consider him to be my father. The Shepherds are my family."

"Tch," Vasto clicked his tongue in irritation. "To think I'm spending my last breaths on a Ylissean dog…"

Channeling mana into his hand, Robin raised his arm to end Vasto's life, not wanting to let the man slowly suffer til death.

"Ha...ha ha...you think killing me...will change anything?" Vasto laughed, his breath becoming more ragged by the second. "Even now, my brothers storm across your precious border." Vasto coughed, causing blood to fly out of his mouth.

Raising his arm, Vasto grabbed Robin's collar and pulled him in close, his eyes burning in hatred.

"Go on, run! Flee with your pitiful Exalt!" Vasto snarled, blood pouring out of his mouth. "And while your coward Exalt flees, know that your subjects are being slaughtered like the sheep you are. Let their faith in your Exalt...bleed away...like the rest…the rest of..."

Whatever Vasto had left to say went unfinished as the last breath of his life left his body. His hand lost its grip on Robin's collar as it fell limply to the ground.

Letting out a deep sigh, Robin closed Vasto's eyes, and rose to his feet.

"May you find peace in death," Robin whispered.

"Huh, didn't think you'd care so much about your enemy."

Robin sighed. "Hello, Gaius," he said, turning around to face the thief. "Is there anything that I can help you with? I don't have any sweets on me, just in case you're wondering."

"Ha, you know me well, Bubbles," Gaius laughed, tossing a small caramel in his mouth. "But I'm not here for sweets. At least, not yet." He then looked down at Vasto with a raised eyebrow.

"Enemy or not, I respect him," Robin explained. "He had his own ideals and held steadfast to them. Isn't it the same for everyone here?"

"I'm just here for my payment in sweets," Gaius shrugged, walking away.

Robin let out a dry laugh before following the thief over to the rest of the Shepherds. Upon getting closer, he noticed that the air around them was tense, as if an argument happened not long ago.

"Robin," Chrom greeted the tactician.

"Did something - where's Exalt Emmeryn?" Robin asked, noticing the Exalt's absence.

"Emm went back to Ylisse," Chrom said, averting his gaze.

"What?!" Robin nearly yelled. "Why?"

This time, it was Cordelia who spoke. "The Ylissean border fell - an unexpected attack led by Gangrel himself not half day after your departure from the castle." The pegasus knight's eyes were red and still wet with tears, but she managed to keep her voice steady.

Robin bit back a curse. He should've expected this the moment a non-Shepherd came along on an escort mission. Those in seats of power, especially those political, would do anything for more power and wealth. Their greed was insatiable, and Robin knew that. And this hierarch was no different, and Robin mentally kicked himself for thinking otherwise.

"If I may," Frederick spoke up. "I suggest we hurry along to Regna Ferox for our reinforcements. The sooner we finish our task the sooner we can return to Ylisstol."

"Very well," Chrom reluctantly said. "Shepherds, move out!"

* * *

The mood wasn't lightened in the slightest upon reaching Regna Ferox. The snow was nice for a short time, but after a while all it managed to do was get on the everyone's nerves. As night fell, many of the Shepherds lost their footing on the slippery road, often falling onto the ground. The only one who didn't seem to mind was Lon'qu, but only due to the fact that he spent many years in the harsh weather. The rest of the Shepherds weren't as fortunate.

As every member of the Shepherds were exhausted from the earlier skirmish and the long march to Ferox, Chrom decided to meet with the Khans early in the morning, giving the Shepherds a much needed rest.

Unfortunately and ironically for the sleep-loving Robin, sleep never came to him easily, and he was wandering around the castle in an attempt to tire himself out. After mindlessly walking around the castle halls for the hundredth time, he made his way back to his room. He saw a bit of red and blue in a room, and wondered when Regna Ferox added blue into their color scheme.

By time he made it back to his bed, the sun was only a couple hours from rising.

* * *

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

A very awkward silence hung in the air as Robin, Reina, Chrom, Lissa, and Cordelia stood in the main hall. Reina was leaning against one of the many large pillars, Lissa was sitting down against the same pillar, Chrom was leaning against an adjacent pillar, and Sumia was comforting Cordelia on the other side of Chrom's pillar. Robin was walking around in circles like a mindless chicken in the middle of the hall.

"Where's Flavia?" Robin asked, a little impatient.

"Readying her troops," Reina replied absently.

Silence fell upon them again.

"She - she'll be safe inside the castle, right?" Lissa hopefully said, referring to Emmeryn. "Phila and the others will protect her! And Khan Flavia is assembling her best troops as we speak. We'll make it back home in time, I know we will!" she finished, looking at her brother expectantly.

Chrom didn't say anything as he continued to stare at the floor.

"Chrom?" Lissa called out. "Say something! Chrom!"

Chrom blinked, looking up with a confused look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Lissa. What?"

"Ugh, nevermind!" Lissa groaned, looking away from her brother. "Let me know when you're get out of your own head for a second!"

Robin looked over at his friend. Then his attention was turned to Sumia as she briskly walked over to Chrom with a determined look on her face. Stopping in front of the prince, she stared at him for a second before rearing her hand back.

 _Uh oh…_

"Snap out of it, Captain!" Sumia scolded him, swinging her arm.

A dull sound resonated through the hall as Sumia's fist collided with Chrom's jaw, sending him tumbling to the floor.

 _Wow! I was not expecting that!_ Robin laughed as Chrom fell flat on the floor, soon joined by Reina as she clutched her stomach from laughter.

Chrom shook his head to clear his daze, then scrunched his face as he finally registered the pain of getting punched in the face.

"OW!" Chrom looked over at Sumia. "What the hell was that for?!"

Cordelia rushed over to the collapsed prince while Sumia put her hands over her mouth in horror.

"Oh no!" Sumia gasped. "Did I do it wrong?"

"Huh?!"

"Captain Phila said sometimes a good slap will break someone out of their doldrums." Sumia sheepishly said, causing both tacticians to roar in laughter.

"Sumia, when you slap someone, you do it with an open palm," Lissa explained, holding back her laughter as best as she could. "You just punched Chrom in the face!"

The laughter from the tacticians got louder as they fell onto their rear in unison.

"Umm...it's the thought that counts?" Sumia weakly said, trying for a smile.

"Gods, that seriously hurt…" Chrom muttered as Cordelia helped him to his feet.

"What's wrong, my dear prince?" Flavia laughed as she walked towards the group.

"Khan Flavia!" Chrom cheeks turned pink. "How much of that did you see?"

Flavia chuckled. "Enough." The one word explained it all as Chrom groaned into his hands, causing the Khan to laugh again. "Buckle up, prince! Sometimes love hurts! You're lucky to have strong women like these, not just dainty flowers about."

Both Cordelia and Sumia flushed at Khan Flavia's words, though for separate reasons.

"In any case, I bring good news," Flavia continued. "The Feroxi army has finally mobilized. Every last man is itching to fight. I must say, I'm looking forward to savoring a skirmish or two myself."

Chrom blinked. "Wait...you're coming along?"

"Of course!" Flavia replied. "A Khan must have her fun. I'm even bringing my insignificant other."

"Your who?" Lissa asked.

"Basilio," Flavia shrugged. "The oaf isn't good for much, but he might stop a few stray arrows."

As if on cue, the doors to the hall burst open with Khan Basilio frantically running in.

"Chrom!" Basilio called out upon seeing the prince. "Good gods, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Is something wrong?" Chrom asked.

"Our scouts have reported back," Basilio said, grimacing. "Dark news...I'm afraid." He took a deep breath. "Ylisstol...has fallen."

"What?!"

Basilio slowly nodded. "The Plegians captured the Exalt and retreated back across their lines. Gangrel has declared she's to be publicly executed by tomorrow's moon."

At the mention of the word 'execute', Lissa's legs gave out. She would've collapsed onto the floor were it not for Reina stepping in and quickly grabbing her.

"That bastard isn't even trying to be subtle anymore," Flavia growled.

"It's a trap," Robin said, agreeing with Flavia.

"It's a trap," Reina repeated.

"The Mad King knew our scouts would relay this information back. It's clearly a provocation - a hot brand to the buttocks!" Basilio exclaimed. "We should consider our options carefully before jumping to any - "

"We march to Plegia!" Chrom yelled, walking towards the door.

Before Chrom could leave, Robin grabbed onto Chrom's shoulder, stopping him as Basilio cleared his throat.

"Well, that would be _one_ option, yes...but perhaps we've seen enough royalty waltzing into traps for one war already, eh?" Basilio coughed.

"I don't care if it's a trap, Basilio," Chrom growled. "He's going to murder my sister!"

"Peace, Chrom," Flavia cut in. "Breathe a moment. No one's suggesting that we don't act. We're simply saying we should act _wisely._ We'll need both guts _and_ wits in equal measure if we're to save your sister."

Robin nodded. "The Khans are right, Chrom. Don't worry, I'll think of something."

Chrom glanced between every member in the room. Then, taking in a deep breath, he regulated his breathing.

"Alright, Robin," Chrom sighed. "I'll leave it up to you to formulate our strategy."

Both of the khans looked at Robin in concern.

"Are you certain that you're up to the task, Robin?" Flavia asked. "You hold the Exalt's life in one hand, and everyone else's in the other. This will not be easy."

"A responsibility I do not take lightly, but I assure you, I am equal to the challenge." Robin confidently said.

"Ha ha! You've got stones, at least. I'll give you that!" Flavia laughed.

"No hesitation, no mincing of words…" Basilio grunted. "He's either a genius or a fool! I suppose we'll find out once we march."

"Don't forget about me," Reina said. "Don't forget, I've gone through the same things you did, and we're the same."

The Khans looked puzzled at that last part, but before either one of them could say another word, Chrom briskly walked out the door, leaving the hall.

* * *

"I hate the desert," Robin muttered, wiping sweat off his brow. Again. "I hate sand. I hate heat. I hate this stupid sun that thinks frying us is funny."

"I thought you hated the cold," Reina said.

"I hate both, though I hate the heat more. If it's cold, you can put on more clothes or make a fire to get warm. If it's hot, you can't do anything aside from stripping to your smallclothes, or not even those if you felt like it, and it'd still be hot," Robin grumbled.

The Shepherds were traveling through the desert. The bones of many animals littered the area with the with two enormous bestial skeletal frames stuck out of the sand in the distance. The two Khans along with the rest of the army, consisting of 20,000 men from Ylisse and 35,000 from Regna Ferox, were marching towards the Plegian capital from the east. As the Ylisse-Ferox army served as a distraction, the Shepherds would quickly enter the capital, rescue the Exalt, and leave. If the opportunity to kill the Mad King would happen to show itself everyone was given the order to take it, much to both Chrom and both Khans' pleasure.

The plan was working well so far. The only times the Shepherds were seen by Plegians were by wandering patrols around the area, but due to Robin's irritation about the desert, they were quickly dispatched up with an annoyed huff and a powerful cast of Bolganone.

"Wait," Reina suddenly said. "Do you hear that?"

Chrom and Robin stopped walking, straining their ears to hear anything.

"I don't hear anything - wait...I think…" Chrom muttered. "Is that a girl's voice?"

"I believe it is," Reina replied, looking over a dune in front of them.

Robin shook his head. "I think the both of you are insane cause I don't hear jacksh-"

Just then a small cloud of dust appeared from over the dune, making its way towards the Shepherds, followed by a slightly larger cloud. As the clouds got closer, Robin realized that they were being made by a small girl with bright green colored hair in a purple cloak and a larger man with scruffly orange hair and in white-green armor. The man seemed to be chasing after the girl, who was desperately running away from the man.

"You there! Fiend!" Chrom yelled once the two seemed to be in earshot. "Keep your hands off that maiden!"

"Oh hey, that's Nowi and Gregor," Reina muttered under her breath, but just loud enough for Robin to hear.

Gregor, the mercenary, looked at Chrom, slightly confused. "Who is fiend?" he asked, his voice heavily accented. Gregor's eyes widened as he figured out who Chrom was glaring at. "You mean Gregor? You have idea wrong! Gregor is no fiend!"

Lissa stepped forward with her eyes narrowed. "Yeah right, creep!"

"This day has been nothing but insults and punches to groin," Gregor sighed. "And all for doing good deed!" He looked back at Chrom. "Listen, friend! Gregor only want to -"

From behind Gregor, more men appeared.

"Gotcha, you slippery scamp!" One of the men shouted. "Prepare for a dose of Grima's wrath!"

"Oy, this is most terrible!" Gregor groaned, looking at the little girl, Nowi. "Do you see now? They make with the catching of us!"

"Why are you all after the girl?" Chrom asked, warily drawing his blade.

"All? What is ' _all'_?" Gregor huffed. "Gregor is not one of 'all'! Look close! Maybe you not see from so far? Gregor has innocent-baby face!"

Robin let out a short, dry laugh. "I'm not sure if I'd call that an innocent-baby face."

"Gah!" Gregor let out a disgruntled noise of exasperation. "Never be minding! Gregor is not enemy! You must believe!"

"He's telling the truth, you know," Reina said to Chrom. "And he's a very experienced fighter, one enough to have defeated Khan Basilio in a fight."

"Oy! You know of Basilio!" Gregor asked.

Chrom cut his hand through the air. "We'll talk later! Right now, we need to protect the girl!"

Nowi looked at Chrom with a bit of distrust in her eyes. "Y-you're going to help me?"

"We'll do everything within our power to keep you safe," Chrom promised. "We'll make our way towards you, and then we'll drive off the brigands!" Looking at Reina, Chrom asked, "Plan?"

"No need for one…" Reina murmured, looking over at her male counterpart.

"Huh?" Chrom was puzzled.

Chrom glanced over at Robin, who seemed to be very irritated while glaring the Plegians in front of him. Walking forward, he held a bright ball of mana in his hand

"Stupid desert," Robin cursed, lobbing his bundle of mana at the group of brigands that were approaching. "Stupid Grimleal...MOVE!" he shouted.

From where the mana landed, multiple pillars of fire shot out from the ground, effectively wiping out the entire group of Plegians.

 _Huh, that's a new spell,_ Reina wondered. _It looked to be a variation of the Bolganone spell. I'll have to ask him about that later._

"Well, that was...anticlimactic…and complete overkill..."Chrom muttered. "What's up with Robin?"

"He really does not like the desert," Reina simply stated.

"Ah."

"It's not that I don't like the desert," Robin said, walking back. "It's that I absolutely _despise_ the desert, and with it, the stupid sand that likes to get inside every nook and cranny, and the ridiculous heat, and the dry wind - "

"We get it, Robin," Reina interrupted. "Your natural enemy is the desert."

Robin continued to rant about his hatred for the desert when Gregor and Nowi walked up to the Shepherds with the latter pouting.

"This is just the worst! Day! Ever!" Nowi cried.

"Ho now, wee one. Do not make with crying of tears," Gregor comforted the girl. "The evil people are dead people. This is good, no?"

"You... You're right," Nowi sniffed. "Th-thank you. And... I'm sorry I was so mean to you earlier. I just get nervous around people who are...outside my age group."

Gregor laughed. "Your age group? Ha! Gregor much closer to your age than others here!"

"Say, um...Gregor, was it?" Chrom cleared his throat, grabbing the mercenary's attention. "Gregor, do you mind looking after her? We need to press on."

"Mmm…" Gregor tapped his chin. "Gregor is mercenary, yes? Maybe you hire Gregor instead. True, Gregor just finish killing former employers, rather, young master spellcaster here-"

"Robin." The tactician grumbled.

"Yes, Robin. Young Robin killed former employers, but Gregor very reliable! So long as you not try to hurt little girl, Gregor will not hurt you," Gregor beamed. His teeth were a dazzling white. "Also, Gregor need steady income...many angry former employers." He quietly added at the end.

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "You're a sellsword?"

"Yes! Very swell sword!" Gregor laughed. "Cost performance very high. You have Gregor's word."

"Sure, why not," Chrom shrugged. "You're hired."

"But what about me?" Nowi piped up, pouting. A desperate look was in her eyes. "I WON'T go back to the auction block!"

Lissa gasped. "You've been sold? Like a...like a slave?"

Nowi nodded. "To men more despicable than you can possibly imagine. They made me transform for them... They drank and laughed and called out tricks…"

"What kind of scumbags buy and sell a little girl?!" Lissa said, outraged. Then she blinked, confused. "Wait, transform?"

"Oh yeah, forgot to tell you guys," Robin said in a monotone voice. "That girl is a manakete, one of two remaining in the world. At least, in my world."

Nowi and Gregor were both surprised.

"How did you know I'm a manakete?" Nowi slowly asked.

Robin shrugged. "Chrom?"

"He's a time-traveler," Chrom simply said. "And so is Reina," he added, gesturing to the female tactician.

"What!? No way! That's so cool!" Nowi exclaimed, practically jumping onto Reina.

"Wow, her demeanor changed quickly," Chrom chuckled.

"Yes, she's quite the bundle of energy," Reina smiled warmly. "Nowi, would you like to come with us?"

Nowi nodded so quickly that her head was a blur.

"Ahaha, I guess that's settled then," Reina laughed, patting the manakete's head.

"Are you sure?" Chrom asked. His question was directed more towards Reina than Nowi.

"Hundred percent," Reina replied. "Not only will her strength as a manakete help us out immensely in the future, but we can't let her fall into the hands of the Grimleal or slave hunters."

"Wait, those men were Grimleal?" Chrom asked, puzzled.

Reina nodded. "Did you not hear the first one shout 'Prepare for a dose of Grima's wrath'?"

"Oh. Right," Chrom said bashfully.

"Milord."

Frederick walked up to Chrom.

"We should make haste," Frederick suggested. "We are nearly to the capital, so a little more marching and then we can rest for the night. We will all need it to rescue the Exalt tomorrow."

"Right as ever, Frederick," Chrom nodded. "Shepherds!" He called out behind him. "Move out!"

"One moment," Gregor suddenly said. "Gregor has question."

"What is it?" Chrom inquired.

"Shepherds are from Ylisse, yes?"

"Correct."

"Mmm…" Gregor let out a low sound. "Back at former employer camp, Gregor saw many women in Ylisse armor."

Reina gasped. "Phila and her pegasus knights!"

"Ah, so Gregor be right in telling you," Gregor said, apparently pleased with himself. "Will we be making with rescue of beautiful women?"

"Yes, immediately," Chrom answered. "Can you take us to the camp?"

"Gah ha ha ha!" Gregor laughed. "Is Gregor's job now, no? Prince is now Gregor's employer, so Gregor listens."

"Lead the way," Chrom said, motioning ahead of him. "Wait...where's Robin?" he asked, noticing the tacticians absence.

Reina simply pointed into the desert where Robin was walking alone.

"Is he alright?" Chrom asked.

"FREAKING DESERT!"

"Guess I was worried for nothing…" Chrom muttered.

"We follow young Robin for now," Gregor chuckled. "Former employer camp is that direction."

* * *

 **Heyo! I didn't think I'd finish this chapter so quickly. In the words of a certain clumsy pink-haired maid, "Didn't expect _that_ , didya?" I love Felicia :)**

 **So, four Shepherd introductions. Let's talk of Donnel and Ricken first! Well, mainly Donnel. Ricken just got a couple lines in, and said a single word. Sorry to those who like Ricken. To be honest, I completely forgot about him because Maribelle was never captured which led to Ricken not coming to save her which led to him not making an appearance. At all. Woops.**

 **As for Donnel, he's always had insane stat growths in the game, so I went into a little to show off his stat growths as best as possible with him killing a couple enemies quickly and learning how to fight quickly. (I'm seriously thinking of having Donnel kill Walhart with a single hit with a log since that's what he did in my first playthrough, which was hilarious. A Conqueror powerful enough to have brought an entire continent under his rule, feared by all, defeated by a farmboy's critical hit with an unforged Log). He** **even landing the killing blow on the chapter's boss, Vasto.**

 **Speaking of Vasto, I honestly like his character. Killing off the traitorous hierarch instead of taking him in as per Gangrel's orders? At first, I thought it was because the stereotypical "Plegians-are-bad-guys-and-bad-guys-kill-everyone" thought, but turns out, it's not. Vasto holds, or at least I like to think he holds loyalty in high regard, and when the hierarch betrays Ylisse and Emmeryn, he doesn't like that and kills him.  
It shows that not everything in war, even in a game, isn't in black and white. For the Plegians, they're the good guys, and the Shepherds are the bad guys. Especially when you learn a tiny bit more of him during Henry/Ricken's B-Support. I also threw in a small bit of Assassin's Creed in there with his death.**

 **Gregor and Nowi...the reason why I didn't write out a fight scene for their chapter is cause I don't like that chapter of the game. Seriously, I see no point to it other than recruiting two more members. It seemed like a very hasty way to mention the Grimleal, and it was just mentioned in three short lines in game. It just doesn't cut it for me seeing how they're one of the two main enemy types in the end-game of Awakening along with the Risen yet we know next to nothing of them.  
Also, it kinda figures for an over-powered unit (Robin) to just kill off an enemy platoon when he's very irritated when he doesn't want to go through the trouble of a fight. At least, that's what I would've done were I in Another Awakening Robin's shoes.**

 **But for those of you who love fight scenes, you'll be getting two of them in the next chapter, so don't fret.**

 **And with that, this chapter's A.N. is finished. See you in the next!**


	14. (XIV) Nightfall

**Happy March, everyone!**

* * *

"GROUND! SOLID SURFACE! NOT SAND!"

Robin collapsed to his knees while throwing his arms into the air. Tears started welling up in his eyes as the Shepherds came across some ruins that would serve as their camping spot for the night.

"Aren't you being a little over-dramatic?" Chrom chuckled, walking up next to Robin.

"I don't think you understand, Chrom," Robin said, standing up. "We're on solid ground now."

"Yes, we are."

"No sand."

"Uh huh…"

" _Solid._ Ground."

"I take back what I said. Solid ground is indeed a godsend," Chrom sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm glad you understand," Robin smirked as he pranced away.

Chrom stood still, staring at the back of his friend.

"Quite eccentric, isn't he?" A voice said from behind Chrom.

"Hm? Oh, Reina, has everyone finished setting up camp?"

The female tactician nodded. "Thanks to Frederick, everything went smoothly and without a hitch."

"Ha, as expected of Frederick," Chrom laughed.

"Can you drag Robin to the command tent?" Reina asked. "He'll be able to help out in thinking of a plan to rescue Phila and her knights."

Chrom put a hand on his chin. "You think that's wise?"

Reina slightly tilted her head.

"I mean, seeing from what happened earlier with the Grimleal and their immediate eradication, I'm not too sure if Robin will be up for stealth," Chrom explained as he looked over in the direction Robin was.

"Oohh, that…" Reina pondered the thought. "I see your point, but I'm sure we'll be fine as long as make it quick."

Chrom frowned.

"Besides, we'll be going under the cover of night, so the heat will be gone," Reina continued. "That's one less thing that's bugging Robin, and with luck, there won't be any wind."

"Alright, I'll go get him," Chrom said, letting out a sigh.

"Great!" Reina cheerfully said. "I'll see you in the command tent in fifteen."

And with that, Reina quickly walked away and back to camp.

"Fantastic," Chrom deadpanned. "Now all I have to do is find Robin somewhere in these ruins…"

The prince walked in the direction Robin had disappeared off to. After a minute of walking, Chrom saw the surface of a rock further down light up. Curious, he walked down towards the rock. After turning a couple corners, he found the tactician, but froze at the sight.

Robin had a mad grin on his face, spinning around in circles. From the tips of his fingers, bits of flame was shooting out, creating a small circle of fire suspended in the air around him. And to top it all off, the tactician was letting out a horrifying laugh as he danced in the moonlight.

"...this? This is my grand tactician that survived three wars and traveled back in time and to a different world?"

* * *

"You didn't have to hit me…" Robin grumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

"You weren't responding when I called out," Chrom shot back.

"I was in the zone!"

"The 'zone' being laughing like a maniac in the middle of nowhere with a crazy look on your face and letting out fire from your fingertips?"

"...well, when you put it that way, you make it sound as if I looked to be insane…"

"You _did_ look insane."

"I wasn't asking for your opinion, Chrom."

"Prince, remember?" Chrom smirked. "I don't need ask for your opinion."

Robin groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I forgot you had the _'_ Prince' card at your disposal…"

Chuckling, Chrom clapped his hand onto Robin's back, square between the shoulders.

"Let's just get this over-with," Robin grumbled, pushing aside the tent's flap and walking in.

Inside, a large table was in the center of the tent with a map of Plegia laid out across it. Multiple figurines were strewn across the map, each one signifying a different faction. Most of them were simple - the Brand of the Exalt and a sword (most likely representing Regna Ferox) was near the edge of the map. Robin also spotted a twisted crown (definitely Gangrel…) a little ways east of the first two. Above the crown was a fang of a wild animal along with a mini pegasus (the Grimleal and Phila's troops) almost overlapping one another, and near that was…

"A sheep?" Robin thought out loud.

"Ah, Robin," Reina spoke, looking up from the map. "You've arrived."

Robin nodded, looking around the tent as Chrom also entered. Around the map stood Frederick, Reina, Chrom, Robin himself, and Gregor.

"The sheep represents us, the Shepherds," Chrom explained, a smile on his face. "Cordelia fashioned it for us along with the pegasus figurine over there." A small bit of pride could be heard in his voice.

"I see…" Robin muttered, staring down at the map intently. Judging from the distance, the Shepherds were an hour's march further away from the Plegian capital than the Ylissean-Ferox alliance, but with their smaller numbers, it wouldn't take as long. "Gregor, what can you tell us about the Grimleal's encampment?"

Gregor frowned. "Grimleal number is many, but from Gregor's memory, not as many guard posted around here," he pointed at a narrow passageway just south of the fang. "Very narrow, with high cliff walls. Could be useful, no?"

Robin shook his head. Having an aerial incursion could indeed prove useful...with his _old_ Shepherds. The current Shepherds would definitely be unable to make the jump from a large height even with him supporting their fall with magic. Though, he and Reina would be more than able to make the jump, but they'd need at least one of them per infiltration group, so it'd most likely end up with him only were they to use the skies.

"Captured women were kept in small building...here," Gregor brushed aside the fang and pointed at an area on the opposite side of the encampment. "The flying horses tied up...here," he said, pointing at the very west side of the encampment.

"Wait, building?" Reina asked. "Not tents?"

"No, no tents," Gregor affirmed, slowly shaking his head. "Many buildings made of stone with locked doors, unfortunately."

"All the more reason to bring along Gaius," Reina said, eyes narrowing on the map. "Anything else? Like a key for the jail?"

"Gregor heard of only one key to jail, which is on captain at all time," Gregor continued. "Captain's building is located here," Gregor pointed at an area east-southeast of the encampment.

"Why the key?" Chrom asked. "Isn't the reason as to why we're bringing along Gaius is because he can pick locks?"

"It's a safety measure," Robin answered. "I don't doubt Gaius's lockpicking skills, but we'll be entering in multiple teams, and there's a chance that Gaius won't be able to get there in time or the number of guards too great to sneak by."

"Ah," Chrom nodded in understanding. "So who's going?"

Frederick immediately stepped forward.

"Nope, not happening, Frederick," Robin immediately said. "We'll need to be light on this mission, and as skilled as you are at fighting, your stealth skills aren't the greatest with that bulky armor on."

Frederick frowned. "I assure you, I can be very nimble when needed, even with my armor."

"Be that as it may," Reina spoke up, "I don't think it'll be very difficult to see someone in heavy armor."

Chrom chuckled. "You do stand out in that shining white and blue armor. Don't worry, Frederick, cause I already have a job for you."

Frederick stood straight. "Milord?"

"While the rescue team goes out, I'll be needing you to take charge of the camp in case the Grimleal are thinking on similar lines as us," Chrom said. "If they are to attack, I can trust no one else besides you to take command and defend the camp."

Even though Frederick's facial expression didn't change, Robin could tell that Frederick was beaming with pride as his chest swelled up.

"It shall be done, milord," Frederick bowed. "You need not worry about the safety of this camp while you are away."

"Thank you, Frederick," Chrom nodded at the knight as Frederick exited the tent. Looking back at the two tacticians, he spoke again. "I assume that the both of you have already decided on the teams?"

They both nodded.

"We'll have three teams, Red, Blue, and Green," Reina started explaining her plan. "Red team will consist of Chrom, Robin, and Gregor. Blue team will be Gaius, Lon'qu, and I, while Green team will be Sumia and Cordelia."

"Hold up," Robin voiced. "Sumia? Are you sure?"

"Don't worry, she won't be entering the camp," Reina lightly smiled. "Her team will be securing the pegasi so we can leave quickly."

Robin nodded. "One more thing - I'll be solo for the beginning." Pointing at the cliffside at the south entrance, he continued, "I'll watch from above to get a better view of the area. I'm not saying I don't trust Gregor, but they may have moved things around since I kind of killed off the group of Grimleal earlier in the day."

"I don't think they'd be that smart," Reina said.

"Better safe than sorry," Robin replied.

"Alright," Reina let out an exasperated sigh. "So, how will you be joining us after your little scouting mission? By jumping off the cliff and into the camp?"

Robin smiled wickedly. "Exactly that."

Silence fell around in the tent.

"You can't be serious," Chrom slowly said, voicing the thoughts of everyone except for Robin in the tent.

"But...I am serious…"

"And how do you expect to survive a fall from that height?!"

"Easy," Robin scoffed. "Magic."

Chrom looked at Robin with a blank face.

"Trust me, when have my plans ever gone wrong?" Robin cheerfully said, putting his hand on Chrom's shoulder.

"I'm annoyed that I can't even tell you off on that part," Chrom muttered, rubbing his temples.

"Anyways," Reina cut in, "let's gather the rest of the members going on the mission and meet at the camp entrance. There's something I need to do before we leave, especially since Robin will be jumping in."

* * *

"Wow, that's a really neat trick," Robin said in amazement.

He was crouching on the edge of a cliff that hung over the Grimleal's camp. Under the bright moon, he was able to make out the forms of multiple buildings, just as Gregor said. Countless small lights could be seen throughout the camp - some from torches placed on walls, some firepits, others patrols, and the rest were from holes in the walls of the buildings that acted as windows.

Among those lights, however, Robin also saw three different colored lights, two red, three blue, and two green lights, each at different spots in the camp.

Reina thought of using magic to lightly coat each member according to their team colors. The colored coating couldn't be seen by anyone aside from very adept magic users or with a keen sixth sense, which of course, only consisted of Robin and Reina in the Shepherds.

Gregor reported that there were a few dark mages in the Grimleal's order, but Robin doubted that they were proficient enough in magic to see the magic coating around the Shepherds.

Focusing once more, Robin saw that Red Team was near the captain's quarters, while Blue Team and Green Team were at the northwest side of the camp, slowly creeping closer to the center of camp.

Having confirmed that everything was the same as Gregor's report, Robin stood. Taking a few steps back and cladding his legs with wind magic, he went for a running leap while casting a gust of wind from his heels. The combination of his wind-coated legs, the gust of wind, and his natural speed and jumping ability sent him soaring through the sky.

As the wind rushed by him, he noticed that he was a little ways off to the right from Red Team. Raising his right arm, he released another small gust of wind, lightly propelling him to the left. Another gust of wind from his left arm, and he was centered, descending down at an angle towards the Chrom and Gregor.

As he approached the ground, Robin gathered mana into both of his hands, and brought them together in a wide clapping motion. The pooled up mana was released, sending out a powerful wind in front of him, greatly slowing his descent. Then he vanished into thin air as he teleported, rematerializing behind both Chrom and Gregor.

Seeing that neither of the two had noticed him, Robin crept up behind his teammates.

"Boo."

Chrom visibly jumped as Gregor wheeled around, drawing his sword.

"Woah there, Gregor," Robin quietly laughed.

"Oh, it's just young Robin," Gregor sighed. "You give Gregor heart attack."

Chuckling, Robin turned to look at Chrom, who immediately grabbed Robin by the collar and started roughly shaking him.

"You. Are. An. Ass. Hole!" Chrom whispered/shouted, mercilessly shaking Robin, causing the tactician's head to snap back and forth.

Robin kept his mouth shut in fear of biting his tongue until Chrom stopped shaking him.

"Worth it," Robin grinned. "So, what are you two doing out here and not in there?" He asked, pointing at the Captain's building.

"Well…" Chrom started, still glaring daggers at Robin. "We saw the captain enter a minute ago, followed by a clicking sound, which of course means he locked the door behind him."

"I don't suppose either of you have a way of getting us in without the use of brute force?" Robin asked.

Chrom said nothing, while Gregor had a curious look on his face.

"Gregor?"

The mercenary stayed silent for a few seconds before finally speaking. "Gregor knows...Bardic Knock Spell…"

Robin blinked. "The what?"

"Bardic Knock Spell," Gregor repeated. "Invented by bard of legend, Sigmund the Red, greatest swordsman in world during a dungeon preparation." Seeing the confused look on Chrom and Robin's face, Gregor sighed. "It...difficult to explain, so Gregor just show you."

With that, the mercenary slinked off into the darkness, headed towards the Captain's building.

Two guards were posted right outside, both of them looking very tired. Without a sound, Gregor pulled one into the shadows, holding the guard's head in a vice-grip and covering his mouth until the guard passed out. For the second one, Gregor snuck up behind him and snapped the guard's neck with an audible *crack*.

After making sure that no other guards were looking, Gregor walked out, holding the lifeless guard's head in his hands, dragging the rest of the body. Stopping in front of the Captain's door, he knocked twice.

"What do you want?" A gruff voice said from inside the building.

Gregor said nothing and knocked again.

A few seconds passed before a small opening around head level slid open on the door, revealing a set of eyes. Gregor quickly raised the guard's head, with the guard's still-open eyes showing.

"This better be damn important," the captain said, unlocking the door and opening it. "Now, what do you - "

The captain stopped, eyes widening as he saw a large mercenary with a mad grin on his face as he easily held up the lifeless body of a man in full armor in front of him.

"Greetings from Gregor," Gregor beamed.

Before the captain could even let out a sound, Gregor's fist smashed into the captain's face, knocking him out cold instantly, and most likely shattering his nose.

Both Robin and Chrom simply stared at the mercenary in silence.

Quickly entering, Gregor pulled aside the bodies of both the guard and captain. After a brief moment, he came back out, closing the door behind him, and seemingly disappeared into the shadows. Silently walking back to Robin and Chrom, Gregor let out a confident grin, a ring of keys held in his hand.

"Gregor present to you, Bardic Knock Spell," Gregor grinned.

Neither Chrom nor Robin said anything.

"Oy, why the making of hushing?" Gregor frowned. "Was Gregor's performance not useful?"

"It was useful, alright," Chrom finally said. "Just...not what I was expecting…"

"What part of that was the 'spell' in 'Bardic Knock Spell'?" Robin exclaimed.

Gregor grinned. "Did young Robin not see the knocking out of captain?"

"Oh no, don't tell me - "

"The connecting of fist to face was the spell for making captain unconscious."

Robin groaned. "I regret even asking."

"Ga ha ha! Come now, let us make with the rescuing of women!" Gregor laughed.

Without another word (unwillingly from Chrom and Robin since they simply had no words), the trio walked through the shadows and towards the prison.

On their way, however, Robin spotted three blue silhouettes leaving the building followed by half a dozen more.

"Wait," Robin called out. "Blue team already got them."

Chrom nodded. "Let's head to the rendezvous point."

"Roughly a dozen people sneaking their way through a large camp full of enemy soldiers," Robin murmured. "Nothing could possibly go wrong."

Everything that could go wrong did.

One of the pegasus knights stumbled due to one of her injuries, knocking over a large barrel. Chrom let out a sneeze. One of the patrols just happened to turn around with to prior warning to spot Red Team. The captain that Gregor cast the Bardic Knock Spell on woke up.

Within seconds the camp was in an uproar.

 _ **You just had to jinx it, didn't you?**_ _Alternis sighed._

Both Robin's and Reina's team found themselves surrounded by the Grimleal.

"GET TO GREEN TEAM!" Robin yelled as loud as he could, hoping that at least one of Blue Team's members heard.

Robin couldn't check if they heard or not because the Grimleal were on them in an instant.

Standing shoulder to shoulder to shoulder, Chrom, Gregor, and Robin fought off their attackers.

Grabbing one of the Grimleal's sword by the blade, Robin clenched his lightning covered hand into a fist, shattering the blade. Stepping in, he struck the Grimleal in the chest with an open palm, sending him flying backwards and into the large group of Grimleal, knocking them down. Raising his arm again, Robin released a large spiraling cone of flames in front of him. The Grimleal that didn't dodge in time were either cooked alive or incinerated while the ones that escaped were still blown back from the very heat of the spell. With the moment of reprieve, Robin glanced behind him to check up on his teammates.

Chrom was fighting furiously, alternating between one-handed strikes and two-handed stances with Falchion. Two hands against heavy armored opponents and one hand for the lightly armored ones. Chrom, as of now, was a far cry from who he'd be in the future, but compared to the Chrom of a couple weeks ago fighting off bandits in Southtown, the difference was like night and day.

 _Heh, looks like the couple sparring sessions that he and I had helped out a bit,_ Robin thought to himself. _He's a true fighting genius to have improved this much._

Gregor, on the other hand, was fighting with his sword and shield. Using the grooves in his shield, he effortlessly parried the blows from his attackers before plunging his sword into their gut. The mercenary also threw in a few kicks to change up his attack pattern, throwing off the nearest Grimleal and giving them more than a couple broken ribs.

Priming his magic, Robin threaded a bolt of lightning between Chrom's blur of limbs, hitting an enemy caster in the chest who was preparing a cast of Nosferatsu.

"To the south passage," Robin quickly said.

Chrom and Gregor nodded, and as one, the trio slowly started pushing their way through the Grimleal's forces. It was slow, however, and they couldn't keep defending themselves for much longer. Chrom and Gregor were already suffering from minor cuts and wounds, and as the fighting dragged on, they'd suffer worse injuries. All of their healers were back at their camp, so they had no way of healing their wounds.

 _This is bad._

 _ **Really now? And here I thought everything was peachy.**_

 _Don't need your sarcasm right now, Alternis…_

 _ **Fine fine, you're no fun. There's four dark mages gathering quite a bit of magic to your right. You may want to do something about that.**_

 _What? OH CRAP!_

 _ **Too late, I suppose.**_

A large mass of dark energy, larger than the fireball during the assassination attempt, was hurled at Red Team. Robin didn't have enough time to redirect it nor would any of them have enough room or time to jump out of the way. Seeing only one way out of their perilous situation, Robin grabbed onto the shoulders of Chrom and Gregor just as the dark magic made contact with Robin's back.

A bright light lit up the darkness of the night, followed by a large purple explosion inside the Grimleal camp. Bits of purple flame scattered from the explosion, lighting a few of the buildings on fire. Multiple Grimleal were also caught in the blast, either dead or near death from the magic.

After the smoke and purple fire cleared out, all that was remaining was a crater in the camp, with no trace of the Shepherds.

"Keh heh heh heh!" The captain cackled, walking towards the edge of the crater. "Not even a limb remains! Lord Grima smiles upon us - "

*BLERG*

The captain was interrupted by the sound of someone puking behind him. Turning around, the captain's eyes widened in both surprise and shock.

The Shepherds that he thought to be dead were standing roughly ten meters in front of him, with the one in the black robe rubbing the back of the one with blue hair, while the mercenary that punched him was bent over, breathing heavily.

"Sorry sorry," Robin apologized while also laughing.

"Never - *retch* - " Chrom hurled up a liquidy mess of...stuff onto the ground.

"Ew, nasty," Robin wrinkled his nose.

"Never...do that…*urp*...again…" Chrom managed to say, his face pale.

"Gregor...must agree with Prince..." Gregor gasped, spitting a wad of phlegm onto the ground. "Teleport...not meant...for Gregor…"

"You two are a bunch of pansies," Robin drolled. "An upset stomach beats getting blown to bits by dark magic, right?"

"I'll...I'll take the magic...thank you very much," Chrom weakly replied before throwing up once more.

Robin's face scrunched up as looked anywhere except for the mess Chrom was making.

"I hope you guys are up for running," Robin said, glancing over at the Grimleal.

Despite the Shepherds being in such a vulnerable position, none of the Grimleal moved, unsure of how to respond to teleporting men followed by the same people throwing up. After noticing Robin's gaze, they quickly formed ranks, leveling their weapons at the Shepherds.

"Not good…" Robin muttered. "It's either you two start running or I teleport with you guys again."

Under the threat of another teleport, Chrom and Gregor both started running towards the south gate of the camp. Lobbing a large fireball at the Grimleal lines, Robin turned around and followed the two.

"KILL THEM!"

Robin heard the captain scream in a fit of rage followed by a large number of footsteps. Then he heard something that he didn't expect - metal clashing against metal, screams of agony and pain, and the crack of lightning.

Turning around, Robin saw five colored silhouettes, two green and three blue creating some distance as a large barrier was erected in front of them. The two greens were on pegasi.

"Oh hey, it's you guys," Robin casually said to the new arrivals.

"Don't 'hey' me," Reina huffed, angrily walking up to Robin. Grabbing the hems of his robes, Reina glared at her counterpart while also violently shaking him. "What the hell did you do to piss them off like this?"

Due to Reina wildly shaking him, Robin's head whiplashed, and his head smashed against Reina's, causing her to release her grip.

"That...was not my fault," Robin groaned, rubbing his forehead. "What also wasn't my fault was the entire camp waking up. That was due to an unfortunate timing of a sneeze by our dear prince."

"Don't forget the pegasus knight that knocked over a barrel," Gaius added.

"Gaius, she was injured," Cordelia snapped.

"Relax, I know. Just saying Bubbles here isn't to blame," Gaius said.

"Talk later, the barrier's about to fall!" Lon'qu cut in, raising his sword.

Robin looked at Reina's barrier. The Grimleal behind it were frantically hitting their weapons against the magic wall, and large cracks were forming at the base from their hits.

"Don't bother fighting, Lon'qu," Reina said. "We need to get to the south gate quickly."

After a moment's hesitation, the swordsman nodded, and all three teams started moving once more.

"By the way," Robin looked at Reina. "What happened to Phila and her knights?"

"Safe at camp," Reina answered. "We came back as soon as we could. Now it's my turn to ask you a question."

"Ask away," Robin said with a wave of his hand as he heard Reina's barrier behind them shatter.

"What was that purple explosion from earlier?"

Robin laughed. "Just the dark mages' attempt to kill us in one go. Lucky for us, I was able to teleport us out of harm's way. Unlucky for us, Chrom and Gregor have weak stomachs."

"Oy, Gregor stomach not weak," the mercenary called out from the front. "Just weak to teleporting."

Chrom stayed silent.

"How much further?" Cordelia asked from atop her pegasus.

Both she and Sumia were flying low to the ground to avoid any potential archers.

"Not much - at this rate, give it another twenty seconds of running and then we should be safe," Reina replied.

"We don't have twenty seconds," Lon'qu said, looking at Chrom and Gregor.

Both Chrom and Gregor were unable to run as fast as they could due to the uneasiness in their stomachs, and it showed.

"I don't suppose you two could run any slower, could you?" Robin grinned.

"The blame for this falls on the shoulders of a certain asshole who likes to teleport," Chrom retorted.

"Guilty," Robin shrugged. "Sumia, Cordelia!" Robin called out to the pegasus knights. "Can you two pick up Gregor and Chrom and get them to camp?"

"Yes," Sumia answered. "But what about the rest of you?"

"We'll be fine," Reina said, giving them a thumbs up. "Now go!"

The two pegasus knights descended on the two Red Team members. Gregor gracefully jumped onto the back of Sumia's pegasus with her aid while Chrom clumsily grabbed onto Cordelia's arm before scrambling on top of hers.

"I guess we have enough time now, right Lon'qu?" Gaius quipped, watching the pegasi fly away.

Lon'qu gave a grunt in reply as the remaining Shepherds continued to run.

Suddenly, a prickling sensation crawled up Robin's spine. Take a quick look behind him, he saw another large mass of dark magic, the same as the one from earlier, forming above the Grimleal.

"That's not good," Robin muttered, turning on his heels and coming to a stop.

"Robin?" Reina shot a look back at the tactician who simply waved her off.

"Keep going, I'll join you in a few," Robin said as he started to pool mana into his hands. "I hope this works…" he quietly added.

The Grimleal launched the purple fireball at Robin, who quickly raised his hands. After a second of concentration, the fireball vanished.

"Oops…" Robin frowned.

Then the fireball reappeared as quickly as it vanished in the air between the Shepherds and Grimleal, but its trajectory was not at the Shepherds, but at the Grimleal instead. The fireball detonated, engulfing the Plegians in purple flames, taking out a large chunk of their forces.

"Not oops," Robin grinned. After backpedaling a couple steps, he turned around and ran after his friends, quickly catching up with the Grimleal on his heels.

"Another one of your magic tests?" Reina asked. They had just passed the south gate and were running through the narrow passage between the rocks.

"Yup," Robin proudly said. "Spacial magic is a wonderful thing."

"Nice, because now it's my turn for testing something," Reina smiled as she stopped running. "This'll take a little bit of time."

Robin nodded. Cracking a finger, he stepped in front of Reina with Lon'qu and Gaius at his sides.

"How long?" Robin asked.

"Sixty seconds!" Reina answered.

Closing her eyes, Reina held her hands in front of her chest. A sky blue light started forming between her hands as the temperature noticeably dropped.

"Sixty seconds is a long time when you're waiting…" Gaius muttered under his breath, taking out twin daggers from his waist.

"Ahaha, how bad can it be?" Robin laughed. "Three of us, stone walls on either side, narrow passage?"

"We have no healer," Lon'qu pointed out.

Robin sighed. "No need to be such a kill-joy…" he grumbled.

 _ **No tank, no healer, and four DPS, one of them being out of the fight for the time being.**_

 _What the hell are you going on about?_

 _ **Hm? Oh, nothing much. Don't mind me.**_

 _I will mind if you're spouting utter nonsense…_

 _ **It's not utter nonsense to the others.**_

 _What 'others'?_

 _ **Oops…**_

 _Hey!_

 _ **Gotta go! See ya!**_

 _Don't run! Explain!_

 _ **Enemies in front of you. Focus on them, not me!**_

 _What the - I don't like you…_

Robin brought his sword up just in time to block a downward swing from one of the Grimleal. Kicking his attacker in the chest, Robin raised his free arm, shooting a bolt of lightning through the Grimleal's heart. With two quick swings of his sword, he lopped off the heads of three of his attackers. Casting another quick spell, Robin unleashed a flurry of wind blades that sliced through the enemies like nothing.

"Uwah, scary," Gaius murmured as he witnessed Robin's kills.

The thief was using his superior speed and dexterity as he maneuvered between the Grimleal, dodging their weapons by a hair's breadth. As he deftly slid between the gaps between enemies, he'd either plunge one of his daggers into their hearts or slit their throats, whichever was easier for him at the moment.

With Robin and Gaius slowly pushing forward, Lon'qu stayed behind the two, swiftly cutting down any Grimleal foolish enough to run past the first two. The swordsman didn't know what exactly Reina was planning behind him, but he knew one thing: no Grimleal would get past him until her spell was finished.

Closing his eyes, Lon'qu put everything into heightening his senses. Even with his eyes closed, Lon'qu was able to make out every movement in a five-foot radius around him, from each limb movement to each little bug crawling on the floor - he sensed it all. Sheathing his blade, he lowered his stance, his hand hovering just above the handle of his sword.

He steadied his breathing. The perimeter of his five-foot sensory range would be a instant death sentence for any Grimleal that dared to step even a toe inside. The ringing of metal rang out in front of him as Robin and Gaius continued to cut down the Grimleal. Then, from the chaos in front of him, two of the Grimleal managed to get past the two Shepherds. And right into Lon'qu's circle.

It happened in an instant. For the Grimleal, they saw nothing as their heads were detached from their shoulders, but to those with a sharp eyes, they would've seen Lon'qu draw his sword, cut through the necks of the Grimleal, and return his sword back into its scabbard in one smooth motion, all within a fraction of a second.

 _Wow, that is one terrifying technique…_ Robin thought to himself.

Parrying another blow, Robin grabbed the head of his attacker and threw the Grimleal at the seemingly endless numbers of enemies. With his hand aflame, Robin raised his hand into the sky.

"PYROCLASM!"

With Robin's cast, multiple pillars of fire burst out of the ground in various spots, incinerating a dozen Grimleal on the spot. Others scrambled for safety only to trip over each other, while others pushed their allies into the fire in a desperate attempt to save themselves. Those that were clear of the range of _Pyroclasm_ continued to make their way towards the Shepherds.

"Hey, Bubbles?" Gaius casually initiated small talk in the midst of fighting.

"What's up?"

"You're one scary person, you know that?" Gaius said, swinging his daggers down diagonally and making a red X on the chest of his attacker.

"Ha, I'll take that as a compliment," Robin chuckled.

"By the way," Gaius glanced back at Reina. "Hasn't it been more than a minute?"

Gaius was right. Robin may not have been keeping track of the time, but his mental clock told him that it's been over sixty seconds.

 _ **One hundred and eleven seconds. Thirteen, now.**_

 _You've been keeping count?_

 _ **Of course. You're welcome, by the way.**_

"Reina? Are you done yet?" Robin called out, not looking away from the lines of Grimleal.

From behind Robin, Reina replied, "Yeah, I'm done! Get back!"

Robin raised a hand and released a powerful wind to push back their attackers. Seeing their chance, Lon'qu and Gaius both turned around to retreat. In his haste, however, Gaius failed to see one of the Grimleal shoot an arrow which pierced the thief's thigh, causing him to fall.

"Gaius!"

Robin ran up to the thief. Placing a hand on Gaius's shoulder, Robin warped behind Reina and next to Lon'qu.

"It's all you," Robin said to Reina before stumbling, clutching his head. Shaking off his nausea, he looked back up at his counterpart.

When Reina opened her eyes, her eyes were a bright blue instead of her usual hazel color. A chill ran down the Robin's spine as Reina slammed her built up mana into the ground in front of her.

"GLACIER!"

From where Reina's hands here placed, countless shards of ice shot out from the ground. The rest of the Shepherds watched in amazement as countless shards of ice stacked up and a frigid wind swept through the area. Within seconds, a large wall of ice and snow formed in front of them. The Grimleal that were unfortunate to be within the area of effect were frozen alive in the ice wall.

"I take it back, Bubbles," Gaius said, his eyes tracing the sheer size of the wall of ice. "Snowflake here is scarier than you."

At Gaius's words, Reina wheeled around. "Who are you calling 'Snowflake' - "

Her line was cut off when she suddenly stumbled forward in a similar manner as Robin, only worse. She would've fell to the ground had Lon'qu not stepped in to grab her, only for his face to quickly lose color upon realizing that he was holding a woman.

"Hey, Snowflake!" Gaius took a step forward only to wince in pain as he remembered an arrow had pierced his leg. "What's wrong?"

"Mana exhaustion," Robin answered him, walking up to Reina. "I'm suffering from it too from the number of teleporting I've done this night, but her condition is much worse than mine."

Reina's face was pale and her forehead was beaded with sweat. Her breathing was erratic.

Relieving Lon'qu of Reina (much to the swordsman's great gratitude), Robin spoke again, "She'll need rest, and you need that leg looked at," he looked at Gaius's bloody leg. "Lon'qu, can you help him get back to camp?"

Lon'qu nodded, and wordlessly propped Gaius's arm around his shoulder.

"I can walk by myself - "

"Be silent," Lon'qu quickly cut the thief off.

With Reina's _Glacier_ behind them to assure their safety, the four Shepherds limped the half kilometer distance back to camp.

* * *

"They've returned! And they're wounded!"

The moment Robin and the others were within visible distance, they had been spotted by Virion's keen eyes. Following Virion's message, a few of the Shepherds ran out to meet them, with Sully and Stahl carrying stretchers.

"You're back!" Chrom yelled out as he ran out to greet them.

"Oh gods, Reina! Gaius!" Sumia gasped upon seeing the pale Reina and limping Gaius.

"Get them to Lissa and Maribelle, quickly!" Frederick ordered.

Reina and Gaius were quickly whisked away on stretchers by Sully, Stahl, Cordelia, and Donnel. As they entered the camp, the rest of the worried Shepherds dispersed to their respective duties while Robin, Chrom, Frederick, and Lon'qu made their way to the healer's tent.

"I cannot thank you enough for your timely rescue," Phila said to Robin as he entered.

"Please, think nothing of it," Robin replied, scratching the back of his head. "If anything, consider it a debt repaid for your aid as we were returning from the grey-zone."

"You have my thanks nonetheless, along with the rest of my knights," Phila lightly bowed. "I was not fearing death, but rather, I feared what those brutes would have done to us over the night."

Robin nodded. From what Robin saw, the entire Grimleal camp consisted of men, and with the captured Pegasus Knights who were all female, the Grimleal would have no doubt used them as their playthings until ultimately killing them when they were bored.

"We only did what was right," Robin said with a wave of his hand. "Besides, it wasn't just me."

"Of course, I have thanked the others as well," Phila said, giving a thankful nod to Lon'qu who was standing behind Robin.

Lon'qu let out a grunt of discomfort as he shied away from Phila's gaze.

"Phila, have you gotten enough rest?" Chrom asked, saving Lon'qu from the Wing-Commander's eyes.

"Yes, I - "

"No, she hasn't!" Lissa cut in, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at the pegasus knight. "Each one of you were half-dead when you arrived, so it'll take more than just a half hour of rest to heal!"

Phila tried to talk when Lissa cut her off again. "You had a fractured wrist, ruptured organs, and four broken ribs, two of which are still fractured! You're in no condition to be moving around! Now get back in your cot!"

Robin blinked. Rarely did Lissa have outbursts such as this, and each time Robin was there to witness it, it was quite impressive.

Phila looked down at her feet bashfully before laying back down on one of the many beds that were set up in the tent.

"How're Reina and Gaius?" Chrom asked in an attempt to calm Lissa.

Lissa let out a deep sigh before replying. "They'll both be fine. Gaius's leg wound is already healed, but it'll be sore for a little while. Reina's just suffering from mana exhaustion; nothing that can't be remedied by a night's rest." She narrowed her eyes at Robin. "Speaking of which…so are you."

Taking that as his cue to leave, Robin turned around and started walking to the tent's exit, only to be stopped by Chrom's hand on his shoulder.

"Mana exhaustion?" Chrom asked. "What did you do after we left?"

Robin lightly tilted his head at Chrom. "Teleporting requires a lot of mana, and that's just for me alone. Add that along with my descent from the cliffs, teleporting you and Gregor to safety, and later Gaius while also redirecting large fireball and casting my own magic? Well, that's quite a bit of mana being used in a very short time."

As Chrom shook his head, Lissa curled a finger around her mouth, covering her lips.

"Robin, take off your coat," Lissa said.

"Quite assertive, aren't you…" Robin joked.

"Robin."

Robin flinched under Lissa's forceful tone. Reluctantly, he turned to face her, and took off his trademark cloak.

Lissa held up her staff and peered at Robin through the light blue orb on it, her eyes moving up and down his body. Robin couldn't help but feel a little exposed under her intense gaze, and stood stiffly. Maribelle also walked up and stood next to Lissa as she continued to inspect Robin.

"...turn around," Lissa finally said.

Slowly, Robin turned, exposing his back to the two healers, causing both of them to let out a gasp.

"Robin...what happened?" Lissa choked.

A large portion of Robin's shirt was burned away, exposing intense burns on the upper left portion of his back. Most of his skin was charred black while some parts still had some purple embers feebly flickering.

"Was...was that from when you teleported us?" Chrom's expression darkened.

Robin slowly nodded. "I thought I'd be fast enough, but I guess I wasn't since I still managed to get burned a little."

"A _little_?!" Maribelle nearly yelled, grabbing her pink parasol so tightly that it nearly snapped in half. "Robin, you have second and third degree burns across your back! Worse than that, in fact! It's a wonder that you're still walking about as you are now!"

"Robin, why didn't you tell me you got hurt?" Chrom demanded.

"Before that, Chrom," Lissa interrupted. "How did you not realize Robin was hurt?"

Robin raised his hand, silencing the siblings before things got worse.

"Lissa, it's not Chrom's fault he didn't notice," Robin said, lifting his coat for her to see.

"...I don't get it. What I'm looking at?" Lissa asked after a few seconds of staring at the cloak.

"Exactly. Nothing's out of the ordinary on my cloak, right?"

"Uh huh, but I still don't see - "

"That's the point, Lissa, darling," Maribelle gasped. "There isn't a single burn or sign of damage anywhere."

Both Lissa and Chrom's eyes widened as they stared at Robin's cloak.

"Precisely, which is why Chrom couldn't have known I got burned. I reinforced my cloak a couple years ago. Couple that with my affinity to this coat and you get some really high magic resistances on it," Robin explained.

"But why didn't you tell me?" Chrom repeated.

"Simple." Robin shrugged. "You'd have freaked out like you are now which wouldn't do in the middle of an engagement."

"So you decided to keep quiet about it and walk away without any treatment?" Lissa exclaimed. "Not only that, you too are suffering from mana exhaustion!"

"I figured that others were worse off than I was," Robin said, averting his gaze.

"You have the worst injuries out of everyone here!" Lissa yelled.

Chrom sighed. "Robin, you're to stay here under Lissa and Maribelle's treatment until they say that you're good to go," Chrom said. "Consider that an order from both your prince and superior officer."

Robin groaned.

"Lissa, Maribelle, make sure he doesn't leave until you two are done," Chrom continued. "As soon as you tend to Robin, get some rest."

And with that, Chrom turned around and left the tent with Lon'qu following shortly after.

Robin looked at both healers in the tent.

"I don't suppose you two would just let me take an elixir and leave, would you?" Robin hopefully asked.

"Cot. Now." Both of the healers said in unison.

Without another word, Robin walked over to an empty cot and laid down on his stomach.

 _ **Women. Are. Absolutely. Terrifying.**_

 _I fully agree._

* * *

 **Aaaaand scene!** **Wow. This chapter was a lot longer than I expected. I was originally planning on ending this chapter with the march towards the Plegian capital, but I figured I might as well put that in the coming chapter.**

 _"But Number! Phila was rescued by Khan Basilio's men in the_ _game!"_

 **Yeah, well? Too bad. This my edition of the story, partially due the fact that I thought it'd be interesting to put that part into the story and partially because the game doesn't expand on the characters at ALL, even for those of the main cast. You don't even get to use the Khans as units until the last couple of chapters, and by then, there's no need to since all of your other units are at like 250 rating, with my Morgan usually breaking 300 before I even get to that point.**

 **This chapter also allowed me to show off a more...not-godlike side of both Robin and Reina. Previously, as you've all read, Robin and Reina were pretty much untouchable characters that completely outclassed and overpowered their enemies. I briefly hinted it at that point in the previous chapter during Robin's fight with Vasto. And though only Robin may have actually suffered from an injury in this chapter, both of them used to too much mana and were left in a weakened state, especially Reina, which shows that they are not in fact all-powerful beings.**

 **I was also able to focus a bit more on the other Shepherds. I felt as though I was focusing too much on Robin, Reina, and Chrom (mainly Robin), so I've been bringing in the other Shepherds and their roles. War isn't fought through a single person, but multiple, so I've been trying to keep that in mind as of recent. I also had to think of a new nickname from Gaius since he calls them both 'Bubbles' in-game, and having two 'Bubbles' would be confusing. I've already gone through the hell of trying to differentiate between two characters with the same name (or lack of) early on in this story and I'm not going through that again. Also, 'Snowflake' seemed to work well with Reina since she's more adept at Ice-Magic than Robin.**

 **And speaking of magic... _Pyroclasm_ and _Glacier_...any Golden Sun fans out there? Yes, no? :D**

 **Anyhoo, that's all for now! I'll see you in the next!**


	15. (XV) A Dark Fall

Robin was laying down on one of the many beds in the medical tent. The burns he suffered a couple hours ago was healed for the most part. Both Lissa and Maribelle had spent a great amount of time to heal Robin before he stopped the two before they suffered from mana exhaustion. Reluctantly, they stopped their healing efforts for the time being. They left the tent to rest, but not before heavily wrapping Robin's torso in bandages.

When asked why he'd need them when he was almost healed, Lissa told him that the bandages were "enhanced" with healing magic. It wasn't nearly as potent as a healer's staff, but it'd mend his wounds slowly as time went on, so Robin decided to keep them.

Judging from how much time passed since the sun had set, Robin guesstimated that it was just past dinnertime, around the time when everyone would go to bed. This time tomorrow, Exalt Emmeryn would be sent to her execution, and the Shepherds were the only ones that could prevent her death. Unless…

"Robin?"

Robin was brought back to his senses when someone entered the tent.

"Evening, Chrom," Robin greeted, sitting up.

"How're you feeling?" Chrom asked, taking a seat next to Robin.

Robin shrugged. "No pain from my burn. Your sister and Maribelle have gotten really good in such a short amount of time."

"Well, you can blame the past few skirmishes that happened in the couple days," Chrom chuckled.

From the cot just to the right of Robin's, the occupant stirred. A woman with white hair turned her head to face the two, glaring at them with a face that was halfway covered in a blanket.

"Loud." That was the only word she said.

Robin and Chrom both laughed lightly.

"Sorry, Reina," Chrom said, raising a hand as an apology.

"Yeah, it's his fault," Robin said, pointing a thumb at Chrom. "He's the one that was laughing."

Rolling her eyes, Reina pulled her blanket over her head to go back to sleep.

After a moment of silence, Chrom spoke again. "You know...seeing the two of you reminds me of the twin prince and princess that I met not even an hour before I found you."

Robin raised an eyebrow at Chrom.

"Yeah, they were quite the duo, along with their retainers," Chrom continued. "Like both you and Reina, they had white hair, but their eyes were red, not unlike Cordelia's. If memory serves, the prince's name was Corrin and the princess's name was Kamui."

"Interesting," Robin muttered. "You said they were prince and princesses...what kingdom were they from?"

"That's the strangest thing," Chrom said, putting his hands behind his head. "Corrin hinted that they were from the kingdoms of Nohr and Hoshido, but..."

At this, Reina suddenly threw her covers back, her eyes sparkling. "Nohr and Hoshido? As in the mythical kingdoms?!"

"Now who's the loud one?" Robin grinned, causing Reina's face to flush.

"Mm...maybe. I didn't really press the issue since Corrin looked a little uncomfortable when I mentioned 'mythical kingdoms' to him," Chrom guessed, his brow furrowing.

"But what would a prince and princess from kingdoms past be doing...here?" Reina asked, leaning forward.

"Creatures from their land escaped to ours, and they were chasing them down to eliminate them," Chrom explained. "Kamui said that they were called 'warthogs'."

"Warthogs?" Robin deadpanned.

"Warthogs," Chrom nodded. "They were strange beasts indeed. They were almost invisible to the eye. I was barely able to see them since it was like I was looking at a creature made of the cleanest glass, but much more fluid than that."

Chrom was about to continue with his story when Frederick entered the tent.

"So this is where you were residing, milord," Frederick stated.

"Ah, Frederick," Chrom smiled at his loyal knight. "Perfect timing! I was speaking to Robin and Reina about Corrin and Kamui."

Frederick nodded as he recalled the events. "I remember that group. One of their retainers was quite the individual. Jakob, I believe was his name. He and I spoke briefly and I sensed his deep devotion to his liege."

"Wow, it's not everyday when Frederick gives praise to someone," Robin noted.

"Of course," Frederick replied. "I feel as though he and I would have gotten along fine had fate been kind enough to give us more time. Though, the pink haired retainer could have used more discipline…" he added, frowning upon saying the last part.

"Ooh! Are we talking about the group that we met before finding Robin?" a new voice chirped as the owner of the voice entered the tent.

"Lissa? I thought you went to sleep?" Chrom asked, surprised at his sister's appearance.

"I felt a little restless, so I decided to go for a walk when I overheard you guys!" Lissa brightly said.

Chrom smiled, gesturing for her to take a seat.

"Oh, their retainers were so much fun to talk with!" Lissa exclaimed as she sat down. "One of them had a really neat name, too!" Clearing her throat, she held out her arm in an exaggerated manner as she deepened her voice. " 'I am Odin Dark!', he said," Lissa giggled.

"Uh oh, Chrom," Robin smiled mischievously. "I think your sister's fallen for someone."

Chrom's face immediately changed into one of horror.

"Robin!" Lissa cried out, blushing. "It's not like that!"

Shaking his head, Chrom spoke again. "Speaking of their retainers, I was able to talk with two of them before they left. The first one, Laslow, was an excellent dancer. Though, he asked a favor from me, which I found quite strange." Staring at the tent's ceiling, he continued. "He requested that if I were to ever meet a woman who danced as graceful as he did, that I were to tell the woman that she was his greatest inspiration, and that he wished for all the happiness in the world for her and her family."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Lissa cooed, a dreamy look forming on her face.

"It is," Reina nodded in agreement.

Smiling, Chrom spoke once again. "The second retainer that I talked to was a bit...how should I put this...peculiar. I never got her name, but strangely enough, she knew of Cordelia, which is strange since I've never seen the girl in my life until then." Then he frowned. "She made me promise that I'd tell Cordelia that I met a girl named Selena who swears to surpass her someday."

"I guess that's the girl's name, then," Reina said. "Selena."

Chrom blinked. "You're right…that makes a lot of sense. Which reminds me...alone...tea…"

Robin curiously watched in confusion as Chrom stood up and started muttering a few words as if in a trance.

"Uhh...Chrom?" Robin voiced, concerned for his friend's safety.

"Robin…do you think Virion would teach me how to brew tea?" Chrom suddenly asked.

"Awuh?" Robin, bewildered at Chrom's random question, let out a strange sound. "Where did that come from?"

"Just...yes or no?" Chrom asked.

"Oohhhh, I see now," Reina smirked, a gleam in her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure Virion would gladly teach you."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Chrom thanked Reina before leaving the medical tent.

Confused, Robin looked over at Reina in hopes of some form of clarification.

"What just happened?" Robin asked.

Reina stared at Robin with a blank face. "You are incredibly dense, you know that?"

"Abuh - whuh - what?" Robin sputtered, growing more and more confused by the second. "Lissa? Help?"

The yellow princess had a sly smile on her face. "Sorry, Robin, but if you can't figure this one out...I can't do anything about it."

"Indeed," Frederick said. "Even I know what's going on. Milord merely wishes to meet with Lady Cor - "

"FREDERICK!"

Both Reina and Lissa yelled at the stoic knight, cutting him off.

"I am so confused!"

* * *

"I still do not know what is going through that man-spawn's head."

"Do you mean Robin?"

The taguel looked behind her at the cerulean haired princess.

"Yes, the tactician."

"I don't think anyone understands his thought processes," Lucina said, smiling lightly.

"He knows of my debt to the Exalt, and yet he sent me to find you and bring you here?" Panne growled.

Lucina said nothing as the two continued on through the desert. The moon hung low over the sky, casting a dull glow over the sand. After a few more minutes of walking, the duo passed by some ruins, pass some broken pillars, and into the remains of a stone courtyard. In the courtyard was a man with white hair in a black coat, sitting down on a collapsed pillar. The man stood up upon noticing the two walking closer.

"Robin?" Lucina called out.

Robin gave the princess a small smile before looking over at Panne, giving her a small nod of appreciation.

"I must thank you again, Panne," Robin said.

"I do not want your thanks, man-spawn," Panne curtly replied. "What I want is an explanation." She narrowed her eyes. "You know of my duty and debt that has yet to be paid to the Exalt - to protect the Exalt, and yet you sent me away to find her - " Panne glanced over at Lucina, " - a day before Ylisstol falls and the Exalt gets captured under your watch? Explain!"

The taguel looked just about ready to maul Robin to pieces, bloodlust exuding from every inch of her body. But Robin didn't seem to fazed at all, calmly putting his hands in his pockets.

"The capturing of Exalt Emmeryn was indeed something that was unexpected," Robin started, taking a step forward. "But that is exactly why I asked for you to bring Marth to Plegia."

Lucina tilted her head, unsure of how she played into this.

"What have you heard from the capital?" Robin asked Panne.

"Nothing other than the news of the Exalt being executed tomorrow when the sun is at its zenith," Panne replied.

Robin slowly nodded. "That's good, then. That means there's still time to stop they key from turning," he said, this time looking over at Lucina. "The Ylissean-Feroxi army will distract the main force of the Plegian army while the Shepherds lead an assault on the capital to rescue the Exalt. But in the chance that we don't get the opportunity to rescue the Exalt, I'll need you to rescue her the moment you get the chance."

"I understand," Lucina said.

"Do you?" Robin asked. His tone made it clear that he wasn't belittling her, but rather to make sure she knew the weight of her task. "We're outmatched, and if the Exalt falls, and she _cannot_ fall, there will be nothing left to stop Gangrel from leading the rest of his forces against Ylisse."

Lucina nodded, her strong eyes piercing Robin's soul.

After a moment, Robin gave Lucina another smile. "I'm sorry to send you off alone once again," Robin said, a sad look in his eyes.

"It'll be nothing more than I can't handle," Lucina smartly replied.

"Yes, because I shall be accompanying you," Panne cut in.

Robin's calm demeanor finally faded. "Panne?"

"I would much rather pay off the taguel's debt with my own hands rather than let another do it for me," Panne said, giving Robin a look that dared him to challenge her words.

For a moment, Lucina was worried that Robin would actually take that dare as the two parties eyed one another. Then Robin let out a laugh.

"Thank you, Panne," Robin smiled. "It's a great relief to know that you'll be accompanying Marth."

Panne let out a sigh. "There is no need for you to keep up this 'Marth' act. I already know who you are, _Lucina._ "

Both of the time-travelers were shocked.

"How did you know?" Lucina asked.

"The ears of Taguel are much more sensitive than yours, man-spawn. I heard your conversation on the night of the assassination," Panne explained. "Including the part of your parentage."

Lucina took a step back.

"Calm yourself, man-spawn," Panne said in a tired manner. "I have no intention to reveal your identity to the others for I do not care of it." Panne's nose twitched as she briefly stared at Lucina. "You also carry a very similar scent as the prince and the pegasus knight with red hair, so I would have found out even had I not overheard your conversation."

"I forgot how much sharper a taguel's senses are compared to a human," Robin muttered, "especially your hearing and sense of smell."

Panne turned to face Robin, her eyes narrowing. "Curious…"

"What is?" Robin asked.

"Back at the Plegian capital, just as I was finished listening in to the Mad King, I came across a very familiar scent," Panne said, staring straight at Robin. "It was yours, man-spawn."

Robin took a small step backwards, his eyes widening in shock. "That's impossible! I was nowhere near the capital!"

"I know," Panne nodded. "Your scent has been lingering in this area for quite some time now, and the scent at the capital was very much like yours, only it felt older and was nearly covered in dark magic." She took a step closer to Robin. "Yours is not."

"You can smell dark magic?"

Panne's nose twitched again. "Every type of magic has a certain smell to it and dark magic has a very distinctive smell, a smell akin to a rotting corpse."

"I see…"

"However, the scent back at the capital was worse," Panne continued. "Rather than the usual stench of dark magic's rotting corpse, it was similar to a large field of hundreds of burnt corpses. I know that smell very well, man-spawn, for it is what your kind did to mine."

Robin scratched the back of his head nervously, unsure of what to say. For Lucina, however, this was quite unusual. In her time, Robin was heralded as the master tactician who brought the Shepherds to victory against all odds. And for him to be stuck from a single statement was a surprise even though she herself managed to get the tactician to get caught on his words a couple of times.

"Regarding smells," Panne said, breaking the silence, "you smell as if you were burned, man-spawn."

At that line, Robin's face paled.

"Oh crap…" he quietly said to himself.

"Robin? Are you alright?" Lucina asked.

"Y-yeah...just got a bit of a small burn, that's all…" Robin meekly replied.

"It does not smell like a small burn," Panne added, narrowing her eyes once more.

Nervously glancing around, Robin made an attempt to leave when Lucina stepped in front of him, blocking his escape.

"Robin, are you hurt?" Lucina asked again.

"Jeez, you have really intense eyes," Robin muttered, avoiding her gaze.

"Robin."

"It's nothing that your aunt and Maribelle can't, and didn't, heal," Robin quickly said. "Speaking of them, I need to get back as soon as possible or else I'll end up with new injuries that I don't think they'll heal...since they're the ones that'll give me the new injuries..."

Unsure of what he meant, Lucina paused for a brief second. That brief second was taken advantage of by Robin as he quickly ran past her.

"See you two later!" Robin called out as he continued to run. "Good luck!"

"Robin, wait!" Lucina yelled before realizing that he was too far ahead for her to ever catch up. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she put a hand over her forehead.

"He's quite eccentric, even for a man-spawn," Panne commented.

"He is indeed," Lucina said, nodding in agreement.

"Come, time-traveler," Panne said, walking off in the opposite direction that Robin ran off in. "We must leave now if we are to get near enough to the capital to rest."

Following Panne, Lucina walked off into the desert. In only a few hours, the life of the Exalt may very well end up in her hands, and she would not take the job lightly.

* * *

"Green team! Take out those archers!" Robin bellowed. "Miriel and Ricken, provide covering fire!"

Frederick immediately rushed off, followed by Stahl and Sully as they galloped towards the group of Plegian archers as Miriel and Ricken fired their respective magic.

"Virion! Wyvern riders ahead! Take down as many as you can before they get close!"

"Yellow team!" Reina yelled, cutting down one of the many Plegian soldiers. "The moment the archers are down, take to the skies!"

"Understood!" "Alright!"

Sumia, Cordelia, Nowi, and Phila's pegasus knights started preparing to take to the skies. Nowi transformed into her dragon form as Sumia and Cordelia make sure their harnesses were snug along with their extra javelins.

Viewing the battlefield, Robin silently cursed. He was not expecting this much resistance by the capital. Most of the army should be off fighting the Ylissean-Feroxi army led by the Khans, and yet there was still a small army stationed at the capital.

"I guess Gangrel isn't that much of an incompetent leader if he knows to not send everyone to the front lines," Reina said as she ran by Robin.

"That or Aversa thought this far ahead," Robin retorted, calling down lightning on a squad of heavily armored knights.

"Donnel, pull back!" Reina yelled out. "Stay in line with Red team!"

Vaike, Lon'qu, and Gregor wordlessly fought their way forward to catch up with Donnel to reform Red team. Vaike grabbed a now-injured Donnel back to the healers as Lon'qu and Gregor provided cover for them, cutting down their opposition.

Just up ahead, Robin saw the last of the Plegian archers fall down followed by a quick nod from Frederick.

"Yellow team, the skies are free of arrows!" Robin called out.

A strong gust of wind was Yellow team's answer as the pegasus knights and manakete took to the skies led by Phila to challenge the wyvern riders. Raising an arm, Robin summoned lightning to fall, instantly killing two of the couple dozen remaining wyverns.

Suddenly, a wall of ice appeared in front of the Shepherds. Not a second later, bright flashes of red and orange were seen on the other side of the ice wall, causing the ice to melt.

"Blue team, take out the mages!" Reina yelled from the foot of the ice wall.

Acknowledging her orders, Virion, Miriel, and Ricken immediately fired off arrows and magic at the group of Plegian mages, only to have a wave of dark magic cancel out the Shepherds' attacks.

"What was that?" Robin asked to no one.

Quickly looking around, he looked around for attire of a dark mage.

 _Was it Aversa? No, it can't be. She and Gangrel retreated into the walls, so there's no way she'd be able to cast magic from so far away...a highly gifted dark mage here is a bad sign. He or she has to go...but where - found you!_

Robin's thought processes took less than a second from beginning to finish as his eyes spotted the Plegian dark mage in the distance. She was wearing the usual attire signifying a dark mage. All the dark mage had on was clothing very similar to small clothes along with a thin sheet of clothing tightly hugging the rest of her body as a black cape fluttered behind her. Her jet black hair swayed as she cast another wave of dark magic to cancel out Blue team's second volley of attacks. In one of her arms was a purple tome.

Kicking off of the ground, Robin soared high up into the air. When he was almost directly above the dark mage, he stopped his momentum instantly while casting a small flurry of wind at his feet to keep him afloat. Raising his arm, Robin created a spear of lightning.

The dark mage noticed this, and quickly shot off multiple blasts of purple fire at Robin. Throwing his spear at the dark mage, Robin conjured a gust of wind down at the purple fire, extinguishing the magic. Before Robin's lightning spear could connect, the dark mage sent a thin beam of focused dark magic with terrifying accuracy. The dark mage's magic collided with Robin's magic, causing a yellow and purple explosion in the middle of the skies.

With the dark mage's attention of Robin, Blue team took the opportunity to eliminate the squad of mages with the help Green team and Lead team, consisting of Chrom, Gaius, and Reina.

"Lead, Green, continue forward!" Robin yelled at the top of his lungs. "I've got this one!"

With a quick nod, Chrom led the two teams further into enemy lines as Blue and Yellow quickly followed. Robin looked back at the dark mage just in time to avoid another line of purple fire.

 _She really is a gifted dark mage for her to be able to reach me all the way up here,_ Robin silently praised her. _It's a pity she's not on our side. We could use someone of her caliber in the Shepherds._

Swinging his arm in a sweeping motion, Robin sent out three fireballs at the dark mage. Then he quickly started to gather mana in preparation for a teleport.

As he expected, the dark mage released three purple fireballs of her own to intercept Robin's magic, causing another explosion in the air. Using the explosion that cut off both their lines of sight from one another, Robin teleported, instantly moving behind the dark mage.

Stepping in, Robin hit the dark mage square in the back with his palm, rotating his wrist just before he made contact. The dark mage was sent flying as her body spun in a counter-clockwise direction due to Robin twisting his wrist. As the dark mage fell to the ground, Robin flexed his hand, curling his fingers into a fist.

 _To think that she was able to create a barrier just before my palm strike connected…_

Robin shook his head, focusing on the dark mage as she rose to her feet. Shifting his weight, Robin kicked off the ground once more, closing the distance between the two at an alarming speed.

As he approached, the dark mage glared at Robin as dark flames gathered in her hands again. Her glare was so intense that it caused Robin to falter for a fraction of the second. Robin immediately started to cast a barrier spell to shield himself from the dark mage's attack when something that he never expected to happen happened.

Just before the dark mage's attack was released, her flames dispersed into nothing. The dark mage lowered her head, her hair casting a shadow over her eyes as she tightly held her tome to her chest. Maybe it was from the glaring brightness and heat, but Robin thought he saw her face turn red.

"Uhh…" Robin slowly stood straight, unsure of how to react.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to attack?" the dark mage asked, staring at the ground.

Robin sighed. "I'd much rather not kill someone who lost their will to fight."

"I didn't have much of a will to fight in the first place," the dark mage grumbled. "Fighting for Gangrel leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

"Then…" Robin started, flipping a coin in his head. It landed on heads. "Then...perhaps you would like to fight with us?" he hesitantly asked.

For the first time since their fight came to a halt, the dark mage looked up.

 _Her face really is red…_ Robin noted.

The dark mage stared at Robin as if trying to read his face. "You...you would trust me? A Plegian?"

Robin nodded. Who was he to not trust a Plegian? He was the son of the leader of the Grimleal, after all.

"Even though this could all be a ploy to plunge a dagger in your back?" The dark mage asked.

Again, Robin nodded.

"That's odd…" the dark mage lightly tilted her head. "Most people take back their offer upon hearing the backstabbing bit. Alright, I'll join your cause."

Robin blinked. He wasn't expecting such a quick answer. "Really?"

"Of course," the dark mage replied. "After all, I get to watch you every day from now on…" she quietly added.

"Hmm? Sorry, I didn't catch that last bit," Robin's brow furrowed.

"Oh, it's nothing…" the dark mage coaxed, a strange smile forming on her face.

Robin felt a small chill down his spine upon seeing the smile. Shaking off his discomfort, he pointed at the ongoing battle. "Let's go."

Running off, Robin heard the dark mage follow him towards the heat of the battle. Strangely enough, he was able to feel her eyes on his back, specifically at his lower half of his body. Another chill ran down his spine as he continued to run.

"Eh heh heh heh heh…"

…

Chrom took a glance up at his sister. She was standing on the edge of the skeletal remains of the Fell Dragon Grima, silently watching the battle unfold beneath her with a pained face.

 _Don't worry, Emm,_ Chrom said to himself, locking blades with a Plegian soldier. _We'll rescue you soon!_

The Plegian slowly started to push Chrom back. As the small gap between the two fighters got smaller and smaller, Chrom reared his head back before bringing it forward again, smashing his forehead into the Plegian's nose.

Sputtering nonsense, the Plegian stumbled back as blood freely flowed from his shattered nose. Before he could regain his balance, Chrom swung his blade down, slicing the Plegian's torso from shoulder to waist.

As the Plegian fell, Chrom kicked the corpse into another Plegian, knocking him to the ground, quickly followed by Lon'qu thrusting his blade down through both bodies. Looking up at Chrom, Lon'qu gave the prince a quick nod before the two moved forward towards the capital walls.

What happened after was chaos. One second, Chrom was fighting alongside Lon'qu. Then the swordsman retreated, clutching a bloody shoulder as Gaius quickly stepped forward to take Lon'qu's place. Then Chrom was fighting next to Gregor with Gaius on the other side of the mercenary, then it was Reina, then Donnel, and then Robin. Curiously enough, the dark mage that Robin was fighting earlier seemed to be fighting alongside Robin.

Slowly, the number of Plegians dwindled down until all that was left was a dozen soldiers and their aged general in heavy armor, standing in front of the entrance to the capital's courtyard.

"You'll never save your precious exalt, scum!" the general spat, leveling his spear.

"This is going rather well," Robin commented, standing next to Chrom.

Every member of the Shepherds were breathing heavily, including Robin and Reina. But despite their weariness, each of the Shepherds looked ready to fight, their eyes strong. Chrom couldn't help but be proud of each and every one of them.

"I don't think I can talk sense into this one," Chrom muttered, looking at their general.

"Likewise," Reina agreed, walking up next to Robin.

Clasping Chrom's shoulder, Robin grinned at his friend. "We're almost there, Chrom. Just one more stretch and then it's over."

Chrom smiled back. "You're right. Let's go rescue the Exalt."

Raising his sword, Chrom ran at the remaining Plegians with a roar. The Shepherds followed their Prince, letting out a war cry of their own.

…

 _ **Watch your mana reserves,**_ Alternis warned Robin.

 _It's fine. We're almost done here anyway._

 _ **Maybe, but you're running dangerously low on mana at the moment. You didn't get enough rest over the night to fully replenish your reserves, so spend the remaining bit wisely.**_

 _You worry too much._

 _ **Better to have mana and not need it than to need mana and not have it. Also, I've been getting a bad vibe from all of this. Something feels...off.**_

 _What do you mean?_

 _ **I dunno...it's just...a bad feeling.**_

 _Hopefully that feeling is just your paranoia._

 _ **...I really hope so…**_

Up ahead, Lon'qu and Chrom were fighting the enemy general as the rest of the Shepherds mercilessly cut down the remainder of the Plegian guard. Seeing that neither of their swords were able to cut through the general's armor, Robin created a plume of fire at the general's feet. The sudden magic attack caused the general to stop his assault, and his armor started to glow under the intense heat of Robin's flames. Using the opening Robin provided, Chrom plunged his sword into the heated portion of the general's armor, easily piercing through the softened metal.

The general coughed up blood as Falchion pierced his lung. Chrom made an attempt to jump back, but the heated armor had cooled, hardening and encasing Falchion in the thick plate armor.

Realizing that Chrom couldn't pull his sword out, the general sneered. Shifting his grip to the upper part of his spear, the general raised his arm to plunge the spear into Chrom's heart.

 _Crap!_

Robin quickly raised his arm to kill the general as he saw Reina jump forward with her sword crackling with electricity. But they both knew that they'd be a second too late to save the prince.

At that moment, Chrom let out a bloodcurdling roar, and he wrenched Falchion out from the general's armor, causing the general's blood to splatter onto the sand. Free of the general's armor, Chrom jumped back, avoiding the spearhead that was a second away from piercing his heart just as Robin's lightning shot through the general's chest and Reina's sword cut off the general's main arm from its shoulder.

With another roar, Chrom leapt forward. A golden light shone from Falchion as it sliced through both the general and the armor with ease.

No one moved as all eyes were glued to the prince and general. They watched the general fell to his knees, said something that was lost in the wind, then collapsed onto the ground, his armor making a soft thud as it made contact with the soft sand.

Not wanting to waste any more of their precious time, Reina shot up a bright yellow flare into the sky, signaling Phila and her pegasus knights to go rescue to Exalt.

"Phila! The skies are clear!" Reina yelled.

At once, Phila took off into the skies followed by five of her remaining pegasus knights. As they were making their way to the Exalt, Robin let out a sigh of relief. Curious to see Gangrel's facial expression, Robin looked across the capital's courtyard where both the Mad King and Aversa were standing. Smiling.

Robin's blood turned to ice. Alternis's warning echoed in his head. " _ **...a bad feeling…"**_

Even from the far distance, Robin was able to see Aversa pull out a small wooden box. A dark purple smoke was billowing out of every crack available. And there was only one thing that would release such a smoke.

"PHILA! FALL BACK!" Robin cried out.

His warning came too late. In the courtyard in front of the Shepherds, a pool of murky purple liquid formed with dozens of humanoid figures crawling out.

"Risen?!" Reina gasped. "How - oh no...PHILA!"

Before the Risen were even fully formed, the undead fired off volley of arrows into the sky. Robin watched in horror as the multiple arrows embedded themselves into each of the pegasus knights and mounts. Each one for them but Phila tumbled out of the sky, dead before they even touched the ground.

"PHILA, TAKE COVER!" Robin yelled again.

The Wing-Commander looked back, giving the tactician a sad smile. Her pegasus had an arrow sticking out of its side, and Phila herself had two arrows that pierced her torso. Then, she looked back at Emmeryn, whose eyes were wide with shock and grief. With a flick of her reins, Phila and her pegasus made their way towards Emmeryn once more.

She almost made it. If she had just one more second, Phila would have been able to grab Emmeryn and fly behind the skull of Grima, safe from the arrows. Just one more second, and they would have succeeded.

But fate was cruel.

Just before Phila reached Emmeryn, a dozen new arrows sprouted on both her body and her pegasus. Phila's pegasus gave one last attempt to move its wings before its final breath left its body, and it slowly fell from the skies, just out of arm's reach of the Exalt.

Robin's vision tunneled. He could only watch helplessly as the last of the Royal Pegasus Knights fell from the skies. He heard screams of anger from just next to him, but it all sounded so distant. He heard another voice cackling in the distance, followed by more yells. He was vaguely aware that the Shepherds were surrounded. The rest of the Plegian army had fallen back, trapping the Shepherds between the capital walls and a wall of flesh and metal.

 _Wait, it's not over. Lucina and Panne could still rescue Emmeryn!_ Robin had forgotten about them.

With the Shepherds leading a frontal assault, Lucina and Panne would have been able to sneak in through the rear. Looking down the remains of Grima, Robin spotted an oversized rabbit and the blue haired princess in the distance. But something was wrong.

Panne and Lucina looked to be locked in a fight with a few Risen. It shouldn't have been difficult for the both of them to cut down the undead, but both of them were having trouble. Then Robin noticed something different about the Risen.

Unlike the others that wore a metal mask and were nothing more than mindless puppets, the three Risen that Lucina and Panne were fighting looked almost human. They had no purple smoke coming off of them, and their flesh wasn't rotting. Robin would have thought them to be human were it not for their purple skin color.

Robin watched as one of the Risen stabbed its spear through Panne's thigh, forcing her to fall back as Lucina took a body blow, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Strangely enough, the Risen didn't pursue the two. Rather, the slowly walked backwards to the base of Grima's skull, blocking the Panne and Lucina's way of rescuing the Exalt.

Robin's attention was brought back when a serene voice cut through the air.

"King Gangrel, is there no hope you will listen to reason?"

 _Emmeryn?_ Robin looked up to see the Exalt. Despite the horrors that she just witnessed, her eyes were still strong.

"You mean listen to more of your sanctimonious babble?!" Gangrel shrieked. "I think not. No, all I want is to hear a THUNK of arrows, and a SPLAT as you hit the ground. Take one, long, last look from your perch. You do so enjoy looking down on people... Then prepare to meet the ground, and your maker! That is…" Gangrel looked over at Chrom. "...unless if someone were to give me the Emblem... NOW!"

Robin looked over at his friend. Chrom's fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white as he glared at the Mad King.

"ALL RIGHT!" Chrom yelled. "All right... Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision."

"Chrom, no!" Robin called out, knowing what he was about to do.

Ignoring Robin, Chrom continued. "MAYBE someday we'll face a crisis where MAYBE the Emblem would've helped. But I know for a fact that Ylisse needs you, today! The people need their exalt... And we need our sister. If those dark days should come, we'll face them together."

Chrom slowly reached down to his side. Untying a small pouch that hung there, Chrom reluctantly took out a small, golden colored shield. The Fire Emblem.

"Chrom, no, don't do this," Robin pleaded. "There has to be another way!"

Chrom gave Robin a weak smile. "Maybe there is," he quietly said. "But right now...I can't think of any other options."

Robin couldn't say anything as Chrom took a step forward to Gangrel, the Fire Emblem in hand.

"Chrom!"

Emmeryn's voice sounded through the air once again, stopping the Prince.

"Chrom…" Emmeryn gave Chrom a sad smile - the exact same smile that Phila had before she died. "Th-thank you...now I know what I must do."

"Emm? What are you -"

Taking a deep breath, Emmeryn looked at the large crowd of Plegians that had gathered just beyond the capital's walls. Some were civilians, some were soldiers. They all blended together to make one vast crowd.

"Plegians!" Emmeryn spoke calmly, and yet her voice was easily heard. "I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred! From this cycle of pain and vengeance. Do what you must... As I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

Robin's blood froze as he realized what Emmeryn was planning. Chrom and Reina must've realized it as well.

"Emm, no...NO!" Chrom dropped the Fire Emblem onto the ground, and started sprinting towards Grima's skull where Emmeryn was perched on.

Reina and Robin both ran after Chrom as the Risen prepared to shoot. Raising an arm, Reina conjured a barrier in front of the three just as the Risen fired off a volley of arrows.

As Chrom and Reina cut through the Risen archers, Robin watched as Emmeryn took a step forward. Then her body tilted, and started falling.

"NOOOO!" Robin let out a cry.

Channeling mana into his feet, he kicked off the ground again, quickly making his way through the air when a heavy impact suddenly hit him. Robin looked down at his side to see a black arrow sticking out of his flesh.

| _Chrom_... |

Emmeryn's voice resonated in Robin's head as it did in the heads of every other Shepherd.

| _Lissa..._ |

Ignoring the protruding arrow, Robin cast another gust of wind behind him only to have two more arrows hit him in the chest, each just barely missing his heart, and then his back exploded in pain as a bolt of lightning hit him.

 _What...what just..._

 _| ...all of my people... |_

Looking around, Robin saw a Risen archer on the walls. He was wearing a helmet that had a single red circular visor, making him look as if he only had one large eye. Suspended in midair, Robin was practically defenseless as the archer fired off two arrows in quick succession. Twisting his body, Robin managed to dodge one as the second pierced his thigh, and another bolt of lightning hit him in the back, sending him crashing to the ground.

| _Please know... |_

 _Get up. Get up, get up, GET UP!_

Robin scolded himself as he forced himself onto one knee as his body screamed in protest. Lifting his head, he spotted Gangrel sneering as he held a sword with a blade in the shape of a lightning bolt high above his head. Looking away from the Mad king, Robin quickly searched the skies for Emmeryn. She was still falling. Robin was twenty meters away from where she would land, and as his body ached, he finally stood on his feet. Raising his arm to teleport, Robin started to channel mana throughout his body when something hit him in the very center for his chest.

 _That damned archer…_

Robin cursed the archer as the last of his strength left his body, and he collapsed onto the ground. His vision started to turn black. The last thing he heard was a cackle, someone screaming his name, and a loud thud followed by the sound of bones shattering.

 _I'm sorry...Chrom...Emmeryn...forgive me..._

…

Reina couldn't believe it. They failed. Emmeryn's broken body was sprawled out in a bloody mess on the floor with Robin collapsed not too far from her body. Whether he was dead or alive, she didn't know.

All the preparation and restless nights of planning were for naught. How could she have missed such a glaring problem? Of all people, she should have expected Gangrel and Aversa to be able to summon the Risen, and she was a fool to have disregarded that fact. And because of her foolishness, their beloved Exalt was now nothing more than a mangled corpse on the ground.

She stood in the middle of the courtyard, frozen in shock. Maybe it was because she and Robin were alterations of one another, but Reina felt each arrow, each bolt of lighting, every single pain that Robin felt she also felt.

Reina heard screams of rage and anger erupt around her, but they all sounded so far...so distant. Her eyes refused to look away from both Emmeryn and Robin. Unbridled rage filled the entirety of Reina's person, and she mindlessly drew her sword with the intent to kill the Mad King where he stood. But instead of the distance between her and the Mad King growing smaller, she found herself being pulled further away by the second. Someone was grabbing onto the back of her collar, practically dragging her away.

She heard Chrom's rage while Gangrel howled in laughter. Looking around, Reina saw Lissa weeping as she was carried away on the back of Maribell's horse. She watched as Lon'qu and Gaius ran out to pick up Robin, throwing the tactician over their shoulders. She saw Khan Basilio pick up Chrom as if he was a sack of flour. Chrom struggled to free himself, but the Khan's strength proved to be too much for the prince as he was unable to escape.

The rest of the Shepherds were retreating, their backs fully exposed to the enemy. Reina fully expected the remaining Plegian army to attack. None of the Shepherds had a will to fight, so there would be little to no resistance were the Plegians to attack. But not a single Plegian moved.

As Reina was being dragged back, she looked at the Plegian army. Each one of their faces were downcast, looking at either the ground or the sky. None of them were able to look at the Shepherds, much less raise their weapons. Gangrel was yelling at his men to attack, seething as none of his soldiers listened to his orders. After realizing that none of the Plegians had a will to fight, the Mad King resorted to throwing insults and began taunting the Shepherds.

Silently swearing that she'd make sure that Gangrel would suffer a painful death, Reina turned her head to see Sully as the person dragging her away. Shaking herself free of Sully's grip, Reina gave her a nod of thanks as she ran on her own, following the Shepherds as they fled the Plegian capital, and away from Emmeryn.

Above them, storm clouds started to gather, casting a solemn shade over the land. Rain started to fall, as if the sky itself was weeping for the loss of the Exalt. The final words that Emmeryn said resonated in everyone's minds.

| ... _p_ _lease know that I loved you...|_

* * *

 **So uhh...yeah...Emm dies. Just saying, I was seriously contemplating on whether or not I should have Emmeryn live in this chapter. I decided against it.**


	16. (XVI) Renewal

**A quick word before the chapter.**

 **This story broke 100 followers and has over 20,000 views. Seriously, everyone, many thanks to all of you. I feel as though I've been saying that a lot in my A.N's recently, and that my gratitude has lost a bit of it's...meaning. I'm hoping it hasn't. Thank you all. Makes me wanna do something as thanks...maybe a Q &A? I dunno. If you guys do want a Q&A, just ask me something in the review section or PM. It can be regarding the story, or what I have planned later for Robin and the Shepherds, or things I do as a hobby or...whatever. I'll answer to the best of my abilities (you can find some possible answers on my profile though...).**

 **With that, here's the chapter. Read, hopefully enjoy, review if you wish, and I'll see you on the flipside!**

* * *

"Gaius, Lon'qu, set Robin down over here."

The thief and swordsman moved to the spot Reina was pointing to, gently resting the unconscious tactician against a rock. Rain relentlessly poured down on the Shepherds. Their rain-soaked clothes stuck to each of their bodies, adding to their exhaustion as they trekked through a couple miles of wet sand and mud without rest.

Khan Basilio was against the action of taking a few minutes to rest, but Reina urged the Khan to let the Shepherds have a moment of reprieve, and he finally gave in.

"Libra, if you would…" Reina looked over to the effeminate priest, who wordlessly walked over to Robin.

Libra had been very briefly introduced during their retreat, having joined the Shepherds while Robin was fighting Tharja. Reina would have liked to talk to the war priest, but she wasn't anywhere near the mood for small talk.

Lissa and Maribelle also walked over to help Libra when Reina stopped the two.

"You've done more than enough, both last night and today," Reina gently said. "Get some rest."

"B-but…" Lissa looked up at Reina with teary eyes.

"It's quite alright," Libra said, looking over at the blonde princess. "You can rest assured that I will be able to bring him back to health."

Lissa nodded, taking a few steps back with Maribelle. They watched as Libra reached up to pull out the arrows that were still embedded in Robin.

"Wait," someone quickly said, stopping Libra.

Reina looked to see who had spoken up to see the dark mage that Robin fought earlier in the day. "Tharja?"

The dark mage walked up and crouched down next to Robin, pulling out a tome.

"Tharja, what are you - "

"I'm going to hex him," Tharja curtly said, not sparing Reina a glance.

"What?!"

The dark mage let out a sigh. "I'm merely going to slow his blood flow so that he won't bleed to death when your priest pulls out the arrows."

Reina nodded at Tharja's words. The Shepherds had been running for about half an hour without rest. Robin was carried by Lon'qu and Gaius with wounds all over his body, and he no doubt lost a great deal of blood during the run. Any more blood loss and it might end up being fatal to Robin.

Libra and Tharja were both looking at Reina, waiting on her orders.

"Please do," Reina said.

"Reina?" Maribelle voiced. Her distrust in Tharja was easily heard in her tone.

"I understand your concern, Maribelle," Reina turned to the noble. "But if we just pull out the arrows, the chances of Robin bleeding to death before he's healed is very high." Giving her attention back to Libra and Tharja, Reina gestured for them to continue.

Dark magic moved from Tharja's hands as wisps of black smoke curled around Robin's body as Libra carefully pulled out the arrows from Robin's chest.

"Why don't we pull out one arrow at a time, heal the wound, then move onto the next?" Maribelle asked.

"We could do that, but it'd take too much time - time that we can't afford," Reina explained. "We're already cutting it close by stopping, and that's only because Robin will definitely die without any treatment."

Maribelle opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it as she had no counter-argument. She reluctantly put her staff away as she watched Robin's healing process.

Trusting Libra and Tharja, Reina walked away from everyone else. The Shepherds were already scattered around the small area in ones and twos, so it wasn't difficult for her to find herself alone. Taking shelter under one of the many rocks jutting out from the giant stone wall, Reina sat down, leaning her back against the wall.

Reina closed her eyes, listening to the sound of rain as it continued to pour. She thought of the events from earlier: how everything was going so well to how quickly their victory, Emmeryn's life, was wrenched away from their grasp. No, that was wrong. They never had the chance to even hold the Exalt's life in their hands. Gangrel and Aversa had their Risen as a backup all along.

"Damn it…" Reina cursed, slamming her fist on the ground.

Reina lost track of how long she sat under the rock for, but it was long enough for her body heat to warm up her clothes. Now, instead of just being cold and wet, her cloak was warm and damp, making it feel even worse than it already was.

"Reina?"

The tactician opened her eyes, repeatedly blinking as her vision was foggy. As her vision slowly returned, Reina saw a distraught Sumia standing a few feet away from her.

"I...I think you should see this…" Sumia quietly said, glancing behind her.

Following her gaze, Reina saw that the rest of the Shepherds were grouped together as they looked down the road.

Quickly rising to her feet, Reina followed Sumia as they ran back to the Shepherds. As she got closer, Reina finally saw what the rest of the Shepherds were looking at.

Down the road was a large platoon of Plegian soldiers. The heavy rain made it difficult to see, but a white flag was raised in front of the army, held by what looked to be the lieutenant. Standing next to the flag-bearer was a man as big as Basilio. A large battle axe was strapped behind his back. With the skin the color of copper, he crossed his arms over his chest as his pauldron made of animal bones rattled.

"Damn, I knew we should not have stopped to rest!" Basilio grunted.

"Calm down, oaf," Flavia said, gripping her sword. "They're standing between us and our carriages, so we would have run into them even had we pressed on. Stopping was actually beneficial as it gave us time to rest."

"Not like it matters now…" Basilio mumbled. "We're greatly outnumbered, and we're all tired while they aren't."

"Cheer up!" Flavia barked, slapping Basilio on the back. "Where did all of your bravado go?"

Basilio didn't reply. Instead, he drew his hand back, wrapping his fingers around the handle of his axe.

"Ylisseans!"

The large Plegian man stepped forward, drawing the attention of everyone in the vicinity.

"I am General Mustafa of Plegia! I offer you mercy! Surrender to me now and live!"

The general's voice was thick with sympathy, almost as if he truly wished to avoid a fight.

Next to Reina, Chrom trembled with rage.

"Surrender? Sorry, I'm not familiar with that word," Basilio quipped.

"Emmeryn would not have wished for this to come to bloodshed," Mustafa spoke without any malice.

"DO NOT SPEAK HER NAME!"

Chrom yelled as his rage reached its limit. His eyes were that of a wild animal's as he glared at the Plegians.

"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK HER NAME!"

Shaking his head, Mustafa calmly replied, "Your rage is justified, Prince Chrom. But the meaning of your sister's sacrifice was not lost on me. I suspect many Plegians who heard her final words would say the same." As he spoke, Mustafa's eyes softened. "If you lay down your weapons, I vow to protect you as best I can."

Frederick stepped forward, opening his mouth to speak. He never got the chance.

"ENOUGH!" Chrom roared. "ENOUGH GANGREL! ENOUGH PLEGIAN!"

The prince strode forward, Falchion in hand. A terrifying snarl was on his face, startling both his allies and enemies alike.

"Why should I trust you, a Plegian general, after everything that your barbarous king has done?" Chrom raged. "My sister wished for peace, WAS peace! She did everything she could to avoid a war, but your king took advantage of her kindness and threw it back in her face! So why should I trust your words?!"

Mustafa took in a deep breath. "I can offer no excuse for the atrocities our king has committed. I have no words to say in order to make you believe me. All I ask is for a single chance to prove my honesty. A single act of grace."

All eyes were on Chrom. What seemed like an eternity passed before Chrom spoke.

"What is your request?" Chrom asked through clenched teeth.

"A duel between the commanders of our armies," Mustafa said. "General against prince, Plegian against Ylissean. My only condition is that if I am to lose, you spare my men, for I vow to do the same."

"Fine," Chrom replied immediately.

Without even a glance back at his comrades, Chrom walked forward, oozing bloodlust and malice. Mustafa looked at the Shepherds, his eyes filled with sorrow. Then he drew his battle axe as he walked forward to meet the prince.

The two commanders walked slowly towards one another. Then, they quickly started to move faster and faster until they were both in a full run. Chrom, full of hate and anger, swung his blade first.

Swinging Falchion diagonally upwards, Chrom's attack was blocked by Mustafa, who proceeded to swing his axe sideways. Narrowly dodging the beheading by leaning backwards, Chrom used his backwards momentum to kick out with his foot, catching the Plegian general in the ribs. As Mustafa was sent back from Chrom's kick, he swung his axe downwards, just barely grazing Chrom on the arm.

The two fighters distanced themselves from one another. Without decreasing the distance between each other, they started to slowly walk in a circle. Tension rose high in the air as neither of them made a move.

Thunder boomed in the distance while a flash of lightning brightly lit the area for a second. Using the lightning flash as a cue, both fighters lunged at each other simultaneously. For the next few minutes, neither one gained any ground. Sword clashed against axe, fist against flesh, boots against the wet ground. Spectators watched with stilled breathing as they watched the fight.

Mustafa let out a earth-shaking roar. As he swung his axe sideways, Chrom held up Falchion in a defensive stance to greet the oncoming blow. Whether it was by chance, luck, or skill, the corner of Mustafa's axe managed to hook itself on the tear-shaped guard in Falchion's hilt, and Falchion was wrenched from Chrom's grasp, falling onto the ground behind Mustafa.

To Mustafa's and everyone else's surprise, Chrom didn't even make an attempt to retrieve Falchion. Instead, he reared his head back momentarily before slamming his forehead into the general's causing him to stumble back. The prince then proceeded to press forward as he used his fists, elbows, feet, and knees to unleash a flurry of blows on Mustafa.

Letting out a growl, Mustafa tossed aside his weapon as he knew that the slow speed of him swinging a weapon would never be able to even come close to hitting Chrom. Grabbing Chrom's next punch, Mustafa spun on his heel, bringing the prince along and slamming him down onto the ground.

The jarring impact forced the air out of Chrom's lungs as he winced in pain. Before he was able to focus, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on their ends. Trusting his gut instincts again as he did many times before, Chrom rolled to his side. Not even a second after he moved, he both heard and felt an extremely heavy impact hit the spot where he just was. As Chrom started to rise, he swung his leg around in a large sweeping motion despite his vision being oriented.

He felt his leg collide with something. That something turned out to be Mustafa's feet as the general lost his balance from Chrom's low kick, sending him crashing onto the ground. Not wasting another second, Chrom spun on his heel as he rose, and used his momentum to bring his heel down in an axe kick, straight onto Mustafa's ribs, breaking a number of the general's bones. Blood spewed from the general's mouth as his broken ribs punctured his lungs.

Breathing heavily, Chrom staggered back a few steps from exhaustion. As he attempted to steady his breathing, he picked up his sword before walking back, standing over the Plegian to a reverse grip, the Prince held Falchion high in their air with every intent to bring the blade down the the Plegian's heart.

Just before he swing his arm down, Chrom heard a voice. One that was calm...peaceful...serene. One that he thought he'd never hear again.

| _Chrom…_ |

"Emm?" Chrom hopefully looked around in search of his elder sister.

His hope vanished as quickly as it came as he realized that he didn't hear her voice at all. It was merely him recalling the last words that she seemed to speak as she fell. Anger swelled in his body again as her death replayed in his mind again. Clenching his teeth, Chrom took a deep breath.

Then he swung Falchion down, the tip of the golden blade headed straight for the general's heart.

…

* * *

…

 _ **R….bin…...bi…...Rob…..Robin!**_

 _Uu…_

 _ **Hey!**_

 _...Urgh…_

 _ ***sigh* you god-damned...ROBIN!**_

 _...wuh…?_

 _ **Wake up, dumbass.**_

 _...Wh-who..-?_

 _ **Fan-friggin-tastic. My host is completely out of it.**_

 _I'm tired...leave me be…_

 _ **Afraid I can't do that.**_

 _...why..?_

 _ **Because this little talk we're having? You know, right now? In your head?**_

 _...uh huh…_

 _ **Yeah, it's the only thing keeping you tethered to your life.**_

… _?_

 _ **I'm telling you the truth. What reason would I have to lie to you and let you die? If you're gone, then I vanish with you. And I'm quite content with not vanishing. Just saying.**_

 _...I...I can't...don't...remember…_

 _ **Yeah, nearly dying will do that to you.**_

 _...tired…_

 _ **Oh no you don't. Don't you dare give in to the sweet temptation of resting. The moment you decide to rest, we're both gone.**_

 _...that doesn't seem...too bad...tired...sleepy...cold…_

 _ **Stick with me here, Robin.**_

 _...Robin? Is…is that my name?_

 _ **Correct. Your name is Robin. You're the tactician of the Shepherds. Time traveler and world traveler.**_

 _...ahh...that's right...the Shepherds…_

 _ **Mhmm. The Shepherds. Your family.**_

 _...Chrom…_

 _ **Correct again. Chrom is the leader of the Shepherds and the prince of the Halidom of Ylisse.**_

 _...I killed him…_

 _ **...Yes...you did. Once upon a time, you did.**_

 _...Emmeryn...the Exalt…_

 _ **...**_

 _I failed. I failed! And now...now she's…_

 _ **Exalt Emmeryn may be dead, but Chrom is still alive.**_

 _...he is?_

 _ **Yes, he is.**_

 _Where is he? Is he well?_

 _ **He's standing no more than ten meters from where your body is resting.**_

 _I - I hear…something...voices… I feel...cold..._

 _ **Your senses are coming back little by little. That's good.**_

"ENOU...! ...REL...PLE..AN!"

 _Who - he sounds...familiar…...Chrom?_

 _ **Indeed. The one whose voice you're hearing is Chrom.**_

 _He sounds so...shaken...angry...broken…_

"Chrom! Chrom wait!"

"Captain!"

 _Is that...Reina? Cordelia? What's going on? Why do they sound so worried?_

 _ **A lot of things happened while you were out.**_

 _Tch...damn...body, move!_

 _ **Woah there, take it slowly. Forcing yourself back to consciousness will only end badly. Not to mention you don't have enough energy for it.**_

 _I can't just - urgh - sit around here...doing nothing!_

 ** _..._**

Robin's senses started to come back at a slightly increased rate. His hearing slowly started to return, similar to how one's ears would stop ringing. He was able to feel the cold ground, followed by his soaked clothing, and the rain that was pouring down on him.

"H-hey! I think Robin moved just now!"

"Robin!"

"Robin, can you hear me? Robin!"

"Peace, everyone. We must give him some space! Lady Lissa, Lady Maribelle, with me!"

"Tharja, can you take off the hex you put on Robin? He stopped bleeding, so he'll need his blood flow to return to normal."

 _ **...So be it. I'll help you out.**_

 _You can? How?_

 _ **I may not have a physical form or anything, but I've more or less figured out how things work around here. Inside you, that is.**_

 _Umm...that sounds a little...unnerving._

 _ **Relax. I'm not going to be able to disrupt anything. What I can do, however, is keep your body and mind together since you're kinda pushing its limits by forcing yourself awake.**_

 _Many thanks._

 _ **Don't mention it. Now go, they're all waiting for you.**_

 _Ha, don't miss me too much now._

* * *

Robin opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed that his vision was blurry and completely out of focus. The second thing he noticed what a multitude of different colors surrounding him. He saw some yellow, red, green, white, and a dark murky color which he could only assume to be the ground. Groaning, he blinked a few times to try and focus his vision.

"Robin! Oh, thank gods!"

"You're awake!"

 _Gods, they're loud._

The influx of voices caused his head to throb. He opened his mouth to tell them to be quiet, but his voice failed to come out.

"He's trying to say something!"

 _Really now? Thank you for your valuable input!_

He saw someone crouch down next to him. Two colors, copper and yellow, suddenly appeared next to him.

"Oi, Robin! S'okay, buddy. Teach is here! What is it that you're tryna say?"

"...loud…"

Robin finally managed to get his voice out after a moment's struggle.

"Wuzzat? Couldn't hear you there." Vaike leaned closer to hear Robin.

Taking in a deep breath, Robin gathered his strength.

"YOU'RE LOUD!" he yelled, surprising both himself and those around him.

Vaike, the poor warrior, was startled to badly that he tripped over his feet, falling backwards onto the ground.

"You're all loud…" Robin repeated, clutching his head as it continued to throb.

After shaking his head, he slowly struggled to his feet as he looked at his surroundings. Standing in a semi-circle, his saw a few of close friends standing around him.

Stahl, the calm, scatterbrained knight, gave him a wide grin. Gaius, the thief with a major sweet-tooth, popped a lollipop into his mouth with a smirk. Tharja, the dark mage the he recently met, clutched her tome tightly as she averted her gaze as her cheeks flushed red. Sumia, the clumsy book-lover, held her hands over her mouth as tears streamed down her face. Lissa, the sprightly cleric, was doing her best to give him a smile as she continued to wipe the tears from her eyes. Reina, his alternate self, gave him a smile that said, 'took you long enough.'

Robin tried to stand, but was still weak. Thankfully, Stahl was ready, and caught Robin before he fell.

"Thanks," Robin said, leaning heavily on his friend.

"No problem," Stahl replied.

As he was steadying himself, Robin heard the sound of metal clashing. He looked around and spotted the fight between the prince and general. He slowly started walking forward.

"That idiot…" Robin muttered under his breath. "What does he think this'll do?"

Robin watched as Mustafa received a headbutt from Chrom the moment the prince lost his weapon. Chrom immediately started to use his fists, landing multiple blows in quick succession before Mustafa threw his axe aside. The general then proceeded to swing Chrom over his shoulder and onto the ground. Raising his leg, Mustafa brought his leg down in an attempt to stomp on Chrom's chest, but the prince was able to roll away. Kicking out the general's feet from under him, Chrom swung his leg around and brought it down on Mustafa's ribs. The sound of bones breaking was easily heard over the heavy rain, causing many of the spectators to inadvertently wince.

Everyone thought the duel to be over as Chrom took a step back from an incapacitated Mustafa, neither of them making an attempt to continue the fight. But with a single look at Chrom's face, Robin could tell that the duel was not yet over. Not for him.

Picking up his fallen sword, Chrom walked over and stood over Mustafa. Then, both he and Robin made nearly identical actions.

Both Chrom and Robin raised their arms, readying their sword and magic respectively. Both took aim, one at the Plegian General's heart and one directly at the Ylissean Prince. Both of them started to attack, one swinging his sword down and one shooting a bolt of lightning.

Time seemed to slow down as Chrom's sword neared Mustafa's chest and as Robin's lightning cut through the air.

Just before the tip of Falchion pierced Mustafa's chest, Robin's lightning hit Chrom on the side of his shoulder. While weak, the sudden impact managed to knock Chrom away from Mustafa, sending him crashing to the ground.

Chrom angrily got up and turned to see who it was that interfered. His malice vanished instantly upon seeing Robin limping over.

"R-Robin?" Chrom sputtered, unsure if he was seeing things. "You're - "

Whatever Chrom had to say came to a stop when Robin's fist slammed into Chrom's jaw, sending the prince to the ground for the second time. Kneeling next to Chrom, Robin grabbed Chrom's shirt and yanked him forward.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Robin's voice was close to a yell. "What do you think killing someone in a fit of rage will do?!"

Chrom glared at Robin. "But he - "

"What? You're going to kill him just because he's a Plegian?" Robin stormed. "Then what about me? I'M Plegian! Would you kill me, too? And Reina? Just because of the fact that we were born in Plegia?!"

Chrom averted his gaze, unable to look into his friend's eyes. Guilt was quickly forming in his chest as each second passed and from each word that Robin spoke.

"Do you honestly think that this is the right thing to do?!" Robin continued. "This is nothing more than murdering someone in cold-blood! How do you think Emm-" Robin faltered. Momentarily closing his eyes, he softened his tone. "How would Emmeryn react if she saw you like this?" he whispered.

Chrom stayed silent. His eyes moved from the ground, to Mustafa, to the party of Shepherds standing behind Robin. He felt his will start to crumble as he viewed their faces. Each one of the Shepherds looked at him with pity, sorrow, grief, and shame. His eyes moved over to Cordelia, who averted her gaze the moment Chrom looked at her, unable to look him in the eye.

"You're better than this, Chrom," Robin said, his voice growing weak. "You're...you're better than…"

Robin collapsed to the ground. The strain from just regaining his consciousness, casting magic in his severely weakened state, and the energy that he exerted from making Chrom see sense again all caught up to him.

"Robin!" Chrom quickly flipped Robin onto his back and placed his fingers on Robin's neck, checking for a pulse.

The last thing Robin heard was Chrom calling the Shepherds' healers, then he lost consciousness again.

. . .

* * *

. . .

Robin slowly opened his eyes. Once again, his vision was blurry and his body ached all over. The only difference from his previous awakening was that he wasn't freezing cold. Rather, he was resting on a soft bed with the bed sheets pulled up to his shoulders.

Groaning, he sat up as pain spiked up his entire body with each move. As his vision returned, he realized that he was in one of Regna Ferox's rooms. The sunset could be seen from his window, casting a warm, orange glow throughout the room. He looked down at his chest to see a thin layer of bandages wrapped around the entirety of his chest.

 _Must be the healing bandages,_ Robin assumed, placing his feet down on the wooden floor.

Looking around, he saw his familiar cloak neatly folded on a nearby table along with a new dark grey shirt and black pants. His boots were near the entrance to the room. Sitting down with her arms crossed on the table was a lightly dressed woman with pink hair. Her head was resting on her arms and she seemed to be peacefully sleeping.

With great effort, Robin slowly stood. After painfully struggling for a good minute or so, he managed to put on his clothes. As he tied a leather belt around his waist, he slipped on his boots and opened the door.

"Mm...mmm?" the pink-haired woman stirred behind him. With her eyes half open, she looked around the room. Seeing the empty bed, her head wheeled over at such as speed that Robin thought she would've broken her neck.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Robin asked.

"A-ah, n-no," the woman stammered as her face flushed. "A-are you feeling better?" She quickly looked down while peeking at Robin with her head lowered.

"Yes, I am," Robin replied.

"Th-that's good," the woman said. "I was worried that I wasn't able to do enough."

"Thank you, for helping me recover," Robin bowed his head. "May I get your name?"

"Oh, r-right!" The woman blushed again. "M-my name is Olivia."

Robin smiled. Her shyness was still the same even in a different world. "My name is Robin. Pleasure to meet you, Olivia."

Blushing once more, Olivia gave Robin a quick bow before rushing out of the room and down the hall, causing a chuckle to come from Robin. Taking a deep breath, he took a look down the long hall. Realizing how far of a walk it was to his destination, Robin immediately regretted his decision. His stomach then decided to growl, forcing him to make the long, painful, and dreaded walk to the mess hall.

Never in his life did what was normally a two minute walk end up taking nearly ten minutes. His legs nearly gave out over a dozen times. Robin managed to not fall by either leaning heavily on the corridor wall or by grabbing onto a suit of armor that was out on display for support. By the time he reached the doors of the mess hall, his face was pale and his back was beaded with sweat. Slowly, he pushed open the doors to the mess hall, and stepped inside.

He was greeted by the entirety of the Shepherds who were conveniently on their way out of the mess hall. What little chatter there was amongst them ceased immediately when Robin opened the door as each one of their heads turned to stare at the new arrival.

For what seemed like an eternity, no one moved. No one made a sound. The Shepherds stared at Robin as if he was a ghost, and he gave them a look that said, ' _Is there something on my face?'_

Robin raised his arm in an attempt to greet them when a certain blue-haired prince gave him a bear hug.

"You're awake!" Chrom exclaimed.

"Owowowowow," Robin could only stammer in pain. "Chromyou'recrushingmeowowowthatreallyhurts!"

Releasing Robin from his embrace, Chrom placed his hands on Robin's shoulders.

"It's good to see you up, my friend," Chrom smiled.

"I'd say that it's good to see you too, but you just threw that out the window by crushing me," Robin smirked.

Chrom laughed. "Glad to know your wit hasn't changed a bit."

The moment Chrom stepped aside, Robin was rushed by the rest of the Shepherds. For the next few minutes, Robin was shaken by the shoulders, hugged, and had hands painfully clap down on his back. Even the stoic Frederick gave Robin a smile that didn't send shivers down his spine and Panne surprisingly gave him a small nod.

Behind the wall of Shepherds was someone that he was not expecting to see. Her cerulean blue hair flowed down her shoulders. Walking forward, she gave Robin a light smile.

"Welcome back," she said.

"It's good to be back," Robin replied, ruffling her hair. "How long have I been out?"

"Four days," Lucina answered. "And that's not including the night you fell unconscious."

"Sorry I took so long," Robin smirked. "Now, before anything else, is there any food left?"

…

Chrom, Reina, and Lucina were sitting down with Robin, watching him gorge on food. It didn't seem like he even stopped to breathe as he wolfed down bite after bite. Beside him, a large pile of plates were constantly stacking up. How a single man would manage to eat over two dozen plates worth of food and keep going, they didn't know.

"Easy there, buddy," Chrom chuckled. "The food isn't going anywhere, so there's no need to rush."

Robin just shot Chrom a glare before taking a large gulp of water. Then he resumed his gluttonous act.

Some time passed before Robin finally let out a very content sigh.

"Fuaaahh, that was fantastic!" he exclaimed, leaning back on his chair and lightly patting his full stomach.

"I did not think it possible for one to consume so much food," Lucina commented, staring at the small mountain of plates next to Robin.

"You try not eating for four...five days," Robin retorted, grinning. "And if I recall correctly, you ate nearly just as much on the day you woke up when we first met."

Lucina's cheeks turned pick as she looked away in embarassment. "Th-that's…"

"Ahahaha! I'm just messing with you," Robin laughed.

The four of them exchanged jokes for a small while when the mood turned serious when Robin asked, "What happened during the time I was out?"

After a moment of silence, Reina spoke. "Word is Gangrel is preparing for a full-scale assault on Ylisse. They would have stormed the border by now but…"

"...none of Gangrel's soldiers have the will to fight," Chrom finished. "Emmeryn's last act impacted them all to the point where they no longer wish for war."

"I see," Robin nodded, folding his arms. "What of our forces?"

"Grieving, but their spirit isn't broken," Chrom said. "They wish to end this war as quickly as they can."

"And this war will be over soon," Robin assured. "Chrom, I need the latest intel on both our forces and Gangrel's. Numbers, locations, weaponry, anything and everything. I'll come up with a plan tonight and I'll inform you tomorrow morning in the council room."

Chrom let out an exasperated sigh. "Not even out of bed for an hour and you're already doing tactician stuff…alright. I'll find Frederick and have him bring the papers to your room. Just don't overdo it, alright? Your body's already battered up as it is."

"I'll work how I normally do," Robin shrugged, standing to his feet.

The group of four left the mess hall. Chrom took the first left down the hallway while Robin, Reina, and Lucina walked straight.

"I'll help you out," Reina offered. "I've been feeling restless for the past few days, so this seems like the perfect way to get rid of this pent up energy."

Robin smiled at his counterpart, grateful for the help. Then he looked over at Lucina.

"How're you holding up?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Lucina raised an eyebrow.

"You've been working so hard to try and prevent your future from happening. We prevented Exalt Emmeryn from being assassinated, but she still died in the end," Robin explained.

Lucina bit her lip. "It's disheartening. It feels as though the events from my time were brought back into play."

Robin gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we _will_ change the future."

"Thank you, Robin," Lucina said.

"On a different matter," Reina cut in, leaning a little forward and grinning. "Robin, do you notice something different about Lucina?"

Puzzled, Robin stared at Lucina's face. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Her hair looked to be a little longer, but that didn't seem to be the answer. The hair-style was the same: freely flowing hair with sideswept bangs. Her clothing didn't seem to be different either. A blue tunic worn over a navy turtle-neck, pants, and a brown leather belt.

"Oh, come on, Robin," Reina teased. "It's not that difficult to see!"

At the word 'see', Robin's eyes moved over to Lucina's. Then his eyes widened in shock.

"Y-your eye!" Robin exclaimed. "The Bra-"

Reina quickly covered Robin's mouth.

"Shh!" She hushed the startled tactician. "Don't be loud!"

Robin slowly nodded, letting Reina remove her hand from over his mouth. He looked back over at Lucina's left eye. Her pupil was a solid blue. There was no trace of the Brand of the Exalt on it, much to Robin's bewilderment.

"Pretty neat, right?" Reina grinned, apparently very pleased with herself. "I whipped up a little bit of magic to hide her mark so that she won't have to worry about others finding out."

"A kindness that I cannot thank you enough for, Lady Reina," Lucina lightly bowed her head.

"Please, think nothing of it," Reina waved her hand. "It's the least that I could do since you saved my life."

This time it was Lucina's turn to look confused. Noticing her confusion, Reina explained.

"After you uhh...stabbed me…"

"O-oh…" Lucina looked at the ground.

"I would've died had you not healed me while Robin was out getting Lissa," Reina softly said. "For that you have my thanks."

"I only did what seemed right," Lucina said. "It was my fault that you were harmed, and I apologize."

"Water under the bridge," Reina said with a wave of her hand. "Now go get some rest. Robin and I will come up with a plan over the night and tell you tomorrow morning."

"Actually, I was thinking that I could help out in helping out in tomorrow's plan," Lucina hopefully said.

The two tacticians exchanged glances. Without even a single word being uttered, they came to a decision.

"Sure, why not," Reina shrugged.

"Glad to have you with us," Robin grinned, ruffling Lucina's hair. "Let's go then, shall we?"

* * *

In the war room, Robin, Reina, Chrom, Frederick, Khan Basilio, and Khan Flavia were gathered around a table. On the table was a large map that displayed the territories of Regna Ferox, Plegia, and the Halidom of Ylisse. On top of the large map were a few smaller maps, each one depicting an enlarged few of certain areas of the continent.

Wooden pieces were strewn about the map with a few unique pieces here and there. The same figurines used while planning the rescue mission from a week ago; a sheep, sword, and a twisted crown.

Despite having half a dozen people in the room, no one spoke a single word. Chrom, Frederick, and both Khans were staring at the two tacticians with blank expressions.

"...you're insane...you know that?" Chrom finally spoke. "Of all the plans you could've come up with, you think of _that_?!"

Robin shrugged. "Sometimes simple is best. Besides, neither we nor the Plegians wish for more casualties, so this is the most efficient way of ending this war."

"But a straight-on attack at the heart of the Plegian forces?" Chrom exclaimed. "It'll never work!"

"Normally, yes, it'd never work," Robin agreed.

"You are either a fool, a genius, or completely mad," Flavia muttered.

"Or a mad fool of a genius!" Basilio boomed. "I guess we'll find out when we march! Bwa ha ha!"

Grinning, Robin continued. "But these aren't normal circumstances. From what our scouts are saying, the Plegian army is in disarray. Each one of the scouts reported the same thing; the Plegians are chanting the late Exalt's name."

"Meaning?"

"The vast majority of them have lost their will to fight," Reina finished. "There's been infighting in the Plegian army between the very few that are still faithful to Gangrel and the ones that are opposed to further violence. The Plegian army has all but collapsed."

Chrom stared down at the map. "Deep down, even the Plegians wished for peace...just as much as we did…" he muttered. "It only took Emmeryn's sacrifice to make them realize it." Chrom looked back at Robin. "So, what now?"

"Gangrel's forces were seen earlier this morning marching on Ylisstol," Robin said. "If we depart within the hour, we can meet him at the border of Ylisse and Plegia by midday."

Chrom nodded. Turning to the Khans, he spoke, "Gather your forces as soon as you can. We'll leave the moment you're ready."

With a near childish grin, Basilio practically skipped out of the room while Flavia followed him.

"He seems to be quite happy," Reina commented.

"We should go, too," Chrom stood up. "Frederick, can you gather the rest of the Shepherds while I rally the Ylissean army?"

"At once, milord," Frederick saluted smartly. "But, if I may?" Frederick posed a question.

"Go ahead," Chrom said.

"I've received a report just before this meeting stating that there are four...eccentric members that wish to join us," Frederick informed.

Chrom frowned. "Four new recruits?"

"Yes, milord," Frederick nodded. "Though young, their fighting skills are nothing to laugh at. It's almost as if they'd been fighting their entire lives."

Getting an inkling as to who they could be, Robin spoke up.

"Chrom, why don't you rally the forces while Reina and I meet the four recruits?" Robin offered. "That way, we'll be good on time and they'll still be meeting with a ranking officer."

"Nice idea," Chrom smiled at his friend. "We'll do just that."

"Frederick, do you know where the four recruits might be?" Reina asked.

"They were last at the south wing of Ferox, under the watch of Raimi," Frederick answered.

Thanking the knight, Robin and Reina left the room. As they were making their way down to the south wing, Reina glanced over at Robin.

"Somehow, I get the feeling that you know who these four are," she said.

"Maybe...not too sure," Robin answered. "This is based off a single guess, but...well, we'll know soon enough."

After a few more minutes of walking through a maze of corridors, the tacticians opened the door to the south wing's barracks. It was almost empty aside from one of the squad leaders of Ylisse and four teens that looked to be just under the age of twenty. Upon seeing Robin, each of their eyes widened in mild surprise.

"Thank you, squad leader," Robin nodded at the Ylissean officer. "You can leave these four to us."

The officer smartly saluted before briskly walking out of the barracks.

"Ah, one moment," Robin called out.

"Sir?" The officer turned around.

"Do you think you can find Marth and have her report here immediately?" Robin asked. "Tell her that I'm calling for her, and that it's quite urgent."

"Sir!" the officer saluted again, giving him a quick bow and ran off.

Turning back to the four members, Robin looked at each of them in turn. A girl with scarlet colored hair tied into two twintails, a girl with dark brown pigtails, a boy with an excited grin on his face with short blonde hair, and a boy with a pretty face and grayish-blue hair. Maybe it was just him seeing things, but Robin could've sworn he saw the last one give Reina a quick wink. He figured out he wasn't seeing things when Reina exuded a bit of bloodlust at the pretty-faced boy.

"So!" Robin clapped his hands together in order to grab their attention and to prevent Reina from harming the one that winked at her. "I am Robin, tactician of the Shepherds, and this is Reina, also a tactician to the Shepherds."

All four of them looked shocked at Reina's introduction, further solidifying Robin's assumption as to who they were.

"Now that I've introduced both Reina and myself, may I ask for your names?" Robin asked, giving them a friendly smile.

The boy with short blonde hair stepped up immediately, putting a hand over his face and striking a dramatic pose.

"I am Owain, Scion of Legend, and hero of time!" Owain exclaimed. "It is an honor to meet the legendary and famed Robin of the Shepherds!"

Robin blinked, taken aback at Owain's...unique manner of speech.

"Excuse his theatrics," the grey haired boy stepped forward. "My name is Inigo, friend to all of the fair maidens in the world." Inigo gave a gracious bow before giving Reina another flirtatious smile.

Reina answered his smile by a terrifying icy smile that seemed to freeze Robin's blood.

"Oooookay," Robin quickly intervened to prevent an incoming maiming of Inigo. "Owain and Inigo, got it. What of you two girls?"

"Ooh, ooh, me!" the brunette bounced up and down excitedly. "I'm Cynthia, a legendary hero in - WAAAH!"

As Cynthia tried to step forward, she tripped over her feet and fell flat on the ground, much like a certain pegasus knight in the Shepherds.

"A-are you alright?" Robin stepped forward, extending his hand to help her up. "That looked like quite a nasty fall."

"I'm fine," Cynthia gave an embarrassed laugh. Taking Robin's hand, she stood up. "It happens quite a lot, so - EEP!"

Cynthia quickly jumped back, letting go of Robin's hand as if she got burned.

"Is something the matter?" Robin asked, confused.

"N-no, n-nothing's wrong," Cynthia stammered, looking down at her feet.

"Gawds, what are you getting all flustered for?" The red haired girl scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "I know that you idol-"

"S-Severa!" Cynthia quickly covered Severa's mouth with her hand as her cheeks turned red.

A little confused, Robin looked at the red head. "I take it that you're Severa then?"

Shoving Cynthia's hand away, Severa glared at Robin.

"Yeah, and what of it?" she snapped.

Severa was the same name that Cordelia named her daughter in his world, and both Severa's had the same harsh attitude. So the Severa that was currently standing in front of him along with the rest of the children were undoubtedly from the future along with Lucina.

Folding his arms, Robin couldn't help prevent himself from grinning victoriously.

"Why are you smiling at?" Severa narrowed her eyes at Robin.

"Severa, Cynthia, Owain, and Inigo, right?" Robin asked.

"That is indeed our names, Lord Robin," Owain dramatically said.

Nodding, Robin looked over at Reina. "Bubble?"

"Bubble," Reina nodded with a wave of her hand.

A clear sphere quickly expanded from Reina, enveloping the six people in the room. The four children immediately took a step back as they eyed the bubble warily.

"Relax, it's not anything dangerous," Reina said, easing their worries. "It's merely a magic that I invented. Anything that's said within this bubble will not be heard from outside the bubble."

"Woaaahhh," Cynthia let out a small gasp.

"You can test it if you'd like," Reina offered, smiling at the girl. "One of you can step outside while another one of you says something."

Without a moment's hesitation, both Owain and Cynthia jumped out for the bubble. They looked back at Reina with sparkling eyes.

Grinning, Reina took unlatched her sword from her belt, and slammed the scabbard onto the floor. The sudden thud caused the other three in the in the bubble to wince. Reina repeated this action a few more times as Cynthia and Inigo's jaw dropped.

"WOAAAHH, THAT'S SO COOL!" Owain exclaimed as they stepped back inside.

"Did you really not hear that?" Inigo wondered, rubbing his ears.

"Yeah!" Cynthia quickly bounced her head up and down. "Not a single sound!"

"Well, now that's really interesting," Inigo muttered, poking the bubble.

"So, why do you need to soundproof us?" Severa asked, flipping her hair back.

"Simple, it's so that we can talk without any of your identities being revealed to any bystanders," Robin explained. "So, correct me if I'm wrong, but...the four of you are from the future, am I right?"

The four of them were shocked. They took a small step back, now on their guard. If they still had their weapons, they would have no doubt reached for them.

"Judging from your reactions, I guess Robin was spot on," Reina said. "You guys came here with Lucina, didn't you guys?"

Another shocked reaction.

"Lucy?" Cynthia gasped. "She's here?"

"Yup," Reina nodded. "She's been with us for a little while now, and we sent the officer to get her for us."

As if on cue, the doors to the barracks opened up as a certain cerulean princess entered. Lucina's eyes widened when she saw the six people standing in Reina's sound bubble.

"LUCY!"

Cynthia bolted from where she stood, tackling the surprised princess in a hug/tackle.

"C-Cynthia?" Lucina stammered, appalled. "And Inigo, Owain, and Severa?" Lucina looked at each one of her friends in turn. "Severa! Your hair!"

Severa looked away as her face turned as red as her hair. "D-don't look at me like that! It's not like I wanted it to change!"

Lucina smiled. "It's okay, Severa," she coaxed. "Red suits you really well, though I feel like as I lost a connection with you now that you no longer have blue hair."

"Hmph, it's not like we don't share anything else," Severa huffed. "I still have my mark, you know."

At this, Reina let out a gleeful noise. She quickly covered her mouth with her hands when everyone looked at her curiously.

"Reina?" Robin asked.

"Sorry, it's just that…" Reina had a bright smile on her face. "Severa, you're Lucina's sister, right?"

Severa wordlessly rolled up her left sleeve. Lifting up her arm, she revealed the underside of her forearm. On her skin was the same mark that was on Chrom's shoulder and Lucina's left eye - the Brand of the Exalt.

Reina's eyes had a shine to them when she saw Severa's Brand. "Oh, Cordelia is going to be so happy! Wait, no! I can't say anything, darn it! But I want to so badly! She'll be overjoyed when she hears that she and Chrom - "

Ignoring Reina and her ramble, Robin turned his attention to the time-travelers.

"So, Severa is Cordelia and Chrom's daughter," Robin muttered. "If you three don't mind sharing, would you mind telling me your parents?" Robin's question was aimed at Cynthia, Owain, and Inigo. Though, with Inigo's flirtatious personality, he could already assume who his father was.

However, the three time-travelers shared glances with worried looks.

"Don't worry, you three," Lucina spoke up, awkwardly walking forward since Cynthia was still latched onto her. "Robin and Reina are also from the future, like us."

"Are you serious?" Inigo exclaimed, shocked at the unexpected news.

"Yes, I am," Lucina answered. "Though, they are both from different futures that ours. It's difficult to explain, and we don't have the time to go through it right now."

"Oh right, we're marching to the Ylisse-Plegia border now, aren't we?" Robin recalled.

Lucina's four friends all bore the same worried expression.

"What's wrong?" Lucina asked her friends.

"If we're going to war...that means we'll be killing other people, right?" Cynthia quietly asked, releasing Lucina from her embrace.

"That's right," Robin answered her, understanding their plight. "It's something that I wish could be avoided, but you will be killing other humans, not the mindless Risen." Looking back and forth between the four, Robin's brow furrowed. "Have...have any of you taken a life before?"

None of them spoke, but the pain and guilt that were in each of their eyes was more than sufficient as an answer.

"I see…" Robin nodded. "I can't imagine how difficult it must've been for you five. To be honest, after three wars and currently in my fourth, killing someone is still something that I regret doing. But for you?" Robin looked at each of them with sympathetic eyes. "I suppose that's a pain that only you can feel, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry that you had to take a life."

Silence hung in the room.

"It nearly crushed me, you know? Taking my first life, that is," Inigo confessed. "I can't remember how long my hands were shaking after my first fight in this world. I couldn't sleep for days on end."

"Yeah...human life was such a scarce and the most precious thing imaginable in our time," Owain added. "I don't think I would've been able to get through my first moment if it wasn't for Inigo, Severa, and Cynthia supporting me back in Rosanne."

"Wait, Rosanne?" Robin narrowed his eyes at Owain. "How long ago were you in Valm?"

Owain looked at Robin. "We were there until only four days ago. Why do you ask?"

Robin's jaw dropped. "How? It takes nearly a month to travel from Ferox's port to Valm, and you four crossed it in just half a week?"

Owain blinked. "I thought the flying ship was a common thing?"

"Flying ship?" Reina was brought out of her stupor upon hearing Owain. "You guys were on a flying ship?"

"Yeah!" Cynthia chimed. "We met some really nice people that were simply passing by! They offered us a ride since it was on the way, and their ship! It was so cool! There was a dragon head sculpted on the ship's bow, and they had really comfortable beds! They even had two giant wings attached to the sides that would bring the ship into the air!"

"That sounds like something out of a fantasy," Robin mused.

"I swear we are not lying," Inigo said. "Their crew was a party of eight, and they called themselves Adepts while an elderly man was traveling with them. I believe one of them said something about searching for the last lighthouse, but I didn't pay much attention after that."

"Maybe because you were too busy flirting with the girls on the ship?" Severa scoffed.

"Hehe, yeah," Cynthia giggled. "You should've seen two of the guy's faces. They looked just about to attack Inigo when he flirted with the girl in the red one-piece. I think the tall one with dark hair was her brother, while the orange haired one had a thing for the girl."

As the group continued to tease a blushing Inigo, the door to the barracks opened Chrom and Frederick stepped inside.

"Ah, this is where you were," Chrom noted, looking around the room. He adopted a curious expression when he saw Severa and Inigo. "Wait...Laslow? Selena? Weren't you two with Corrin and Kamui?"

Severa and Laslow looked just as confused as Chrom.

"Who's Selena?" Severa asked, quickly rolling down her sleeve to hide her Brand. "My name is Severa."

"And I'm Inigo," Inigo stated. "Terribly sorry, but you must've confused us with someone else."

Chrom furrowed his brow as he stared at the two. "Hmm...I could've sworn…"

"Chrom, allow me to introduce you to Severa, Inigo, Cynthia, and Owain," Robin gestured to each of the four respectively. "They're all friends of Marth, and they're quite trustworthy."

Chrom looked at Robin for a brief moment before nodding. "Very well, Robin."

"Milord?" Frederick spoke.

"If they're friends of Marth, and Robin deems them trustworthy, then I see no qualms with letting them join," Chrom explained. "Now come, we have a war to finish."

Chrom and Frederick both left the barracks. Reina, Lucina, Owain, Inigo, Severa, Cynthia, and Robin followed shortly after. Noticing that Cynthia was staring at Frederick's back with a strange look, Robin leaned in close.

"Hey, Cynthia?" Robin whispered.

"Eep!" Cynthia jumped as she faced Robin. "Y-yes?"

"Your parents…" Robin slowly said as he connected the dots. "Your mother is Sumia, correct?"

Cynthia's eyes widened as she slowly nodded. "How did you know?"

"There's only one other person who can fall as spectacularly as you did back there," Robin grinned. "I also spotted a new pegasus on the way here, one that looked identical to Sumia's. You also share some of the same mannerisms as your mother."

Cynthia's couldn't help but feel amazed at Robin's keen ability to notice such details.

"Which then leaves the question of who your father is," Robin quietly continued. "But judging from your initial reaction from seeing Frederick and how you were longingly staring at his back just now, I'm guessing Frederick is your father?"

Cynthia's jaw dropped. "Did you really figure that out in such a short time?"

"You give me far too much credit," Robin chuckled. "It was merely a guess that turned out to be right."

The brunette gazed back at her father's back. "I'm just so happy to see him again," she quietly said. Looking back at Robin, she narrowed her eyes. "You aren't going to do anything weird, are you?"

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"Like, you aren't going to go out of your way to get my mother and father together, right?" Cynthia asked.

"Oh, that," Robin muttered. "Don't worry about that, I won't be doing anything to force relationships," he answered with a smile. "Besides, I think Frederick already has a thing for Sumia in this world."

Cynthia's eyes lit up at Robin's statement as she beamed. "Really?"

"Really really," Robin affirmed. "And think of this; soon you'll be able to meet your mother, though she won't really know who you are."

The girl nearly jumped for joy as she thought of meeting her mother again, causing a smile to form on Robin's face.

 _Now, who could Inigo and Owain's parents be?_

 _ **I have no doubt that Inigo's father is Virion.**_

 _I'm not going to argue with you there. I don't think that philandering personality is something that Inigo simply picked up on._

 _ **Mm. Maybe he did learn it from someone else? He did seem really shy when he was being teased earlier.**_

 _I don't see how that has to do with anything._

 _ **Just food for thought.**_

 _If Inigo didn't pick up philandering from Virion, I swear I'll -_

"Robin! A word, please?" Chrom called out from the front.

 _I'll get back to you on that._

"Yeah, be there in a sec!" Robin yelled back, jogging over to his friend.

The sun was almost at its zenith. A quarter of an hour until the Shepherds and the joint army of Ylisseans and Feroxi march to war. Five hours until they reach the Ylisse-Plegian border. Six hours until the final war with Gangrel starts. And after that -

"I plan on proposing to Cordelia," Chrom confessed to Robin with a flushed face.

* * *

 **EEEY! Chrom's gonna take a leap forward!**

 **And wow. I started this story while only planning on minor changes to the actual Awakening story, but as I kept adding and tweaking things a bit, there's quite a lot of changes. Two MU's, Chrom x Cordelia, Mustafa doesn't die, Lucina having pretty much joined the Shepherds before Gangrel's defeat, and Severa, Inigo, Owain, and Cynthia are already introduced! An a quick introduction for Olivia! I'm not too sure on how to write out a very timid and shy personality, so I hope I got it right. Or at least close.**

 **Also, PLEASE tell me someone got the huge Golden Sun easter-egg towards the end of the chapter.**

* * *

 **So...I feel as though I've been a little...negligent in the review section. And since it's been quite some time since I've gone and replied to them (last one being back in Chapter 10. This is Chapter 16), I'll do it now. Sorry for the delay on some of these replies.**

 **\- darkztarz12: Of course! Bravely Default is a fantastic game, so I couldn't help but have that little easter-egg in that chapter. I was hoping that someone would get the references.**

 **\- HelloPotato: I'm actually okay with the sand mechanic and how it limits the movement of all units aside from flyers and mages. I just didn't like the fact that the game delved very little into who the Grimleal are despite them having such a big influence in the latter half of the game.**

 **\- AnonymousGeek: Many thanks for the words! I was hoping that I got their characters portrayed correctly. Looks like I did :)**

 **\- hurricaneclaw: Alternis is...still known as an enigma for now. I've something planned later on for both him and Reflet as to who/what they are and how they tie in to the world.**

 **\- jordanlink7856: Yes! I was hoping someone would get that tune stuck in my head! Glad to know it was a success.**

 **\- Antex-The Legnedary Zoroark: Wow, you single-handedly made twelve reviews. Many thanks to you for that. Now, for replies...some have already been answered in the later chapters from when you posted the review, so I'll answer the ones that weren't without spoiling things.  
*Severa's hair change is because I think red hair suits her really well. Don't get me wrong, she looks good with blue-purple hair from the CG in the Hot Spring DLC, but red just matches better. That and I'm trying to get the Future Children's hair color to be along the lines of their official art depictions.  
*Felicia is adorable. Her English voice-actor got her perfectly, which is the one of the key reasons why I like Felicia so much.  
*Validar truly dead? Hmmm...  
*I'm pretty sure Vaike's classes would be quite the...interesting experience, to say the least.**

* * *

 **Side note: I've started writing a second FanFic. It will not interfere with my usual Another Awakening chapter release since it's usually one, maybe two uploads per week. There's no specific reason as to why I started it other than I just wanted to.  
Information that I'll tease out on the second FanFic: It's not unrelated to AA's Robin. I'll leave it at that.  
Expect the first chapter of the story to be out late March (currently mid-March), or not long after the final chapter of the Gangrel arc, which is the next chapter.**

 **And that's it for now! I will see you all in the next!**


	17. (XVII) Regicide

"WHAT?!"

Robin was shocked. He was expecting for Chrom to talk to him about the battle that was only a few hours away, or any last minute preparations, or something along those lines. He certainly wasn't expecting Chrom to tell him that he was planning on proposing to Cordelia...while they were marching towards Plegia...on the precipice of war.

"Shh!" Chrom hissed. "Not so loud! No one else knows of this!"

"What made you want to propose to Cordelia?" Robin curiously asked. "Not that I'm against it. She's a great woman and all, but I just want to know your thoughts."

Chrom's face turned the color of Cordelia's hair. Chrom slowed his walking pace down with Robin matching, allowing the rest of the group to pass them.

"I mean...she...gods this is embarrassing." Chrom was nervously grinning while scratching the back of his head.

"Oh come on, it's me you're talking to," Robin grinned. "If you're getting like this from just talking about her to me, how will you plan on actually proposing to her?"

Chrom took a deep breath, let it out, and took in another deep breath. "You're right," he said, calming his nerves. "As for what made me fall for her? Well…" Chrom's face turned red again.

"Jeez, you're like a pubescent teenage boy right now," Robin teased.

"Shut up, this is a lot more difficult that you'd think," Chrom mumbled. "To start, she's beautiful, kind, fun, caring…" Chrom let out a blissful sigh. "To be completely honest, I don't think I would've been able to make it here if it wasn't for her."

Robin arched an eyebrow.

"Back when Emmeryn was captured on our way to Ferox, I was overcome with grief," Chrom recalled. "I holed myself up in one of their guest rooms, and Cordelia was there with me til late night. Simply talking with her helped me out immensely."

 _Oooh, so the red and blue I saw that night during my midnight stroll WASN'T Regna Ferox trying to add more colors to their palette._ Robin snickered to himself remembering a certain night.

"And after that…after Emm's death," Chrom looked down as they continued to walk. "Cordelia stayed by my side the entire time. As cheesy as this may sound, during that moment, I felt empty. But she gave me life again. What more of a reason do I need when there's an amazing woman who willingly stayed by my side in my darkest moments?"

Robin nodded his head. It made sense. Who knows what could've gone on between the two during the days he was unconscious? He also wasn't by Chrom's side all the time, so a lot of things could've happened, such as the two of them sitting down for tea -

"Oooohhh, that's what that was about…" Robin muttered as it finally clicked in his head.

"Hm?" Chrom looked over.

"Have you had your tea time with Cordelia yet?" Robin asked. A sly grin was plastered on his face.

"Wh-what?"

"Heh~ you know on the night after rescuing Phila and her knights?"

"Uh huh."

"And you know how after I had my burn treated, you talked of Corrin and Kamui?"

"Yeeeess?" Chrom wasn't too sure where Robin was going.

"And you know how you had a chat with one of their retainers, Selena?"

"Yeah - oh…"

"Mhmm! So, did you have tea time with Cordelia like you promised Selena?"

Chrom looked away from Robin again. "Y-yeah...we did."

"Nice!" Robin playfully shook Chrom's shoulder. "I bid you good luck on your pro- "

"Milord?" A deep voice suddenly interrupted Robin.

"Gaah!" "Yee!"

Chrom and Robin both let out startled sounds at the unexpected voice.

"Y-yes? Frederick?" Chrom turned to face the stoic knight.

"We've arrived at the southern border of Regna Ferox, milord," Frederick informed.

Robin looked around. He was so focused on Chrom's talk of proposal that he hadn't noticed that they had already walked to Ferox's border. All around them were men and women of both Ylisse and Regna Ferox who made way for Chrom and his group, outfitted in armor and weapons strapped to either their sides or backs. Of the original fifty-five thousand soldiers, only thirty-eight thousand remained. Their attempt to save Emmeryn had cost them the lives of seven thousand soldiers and ten thousand too injured to fight.

Despite the losses and them only hours away from another battle, an air of calm surrounded the joint-army. Waiting directly in front of the gates were the rest of the Shepherds and the Khans. As he approached, Robin noticed some of the Shepherds looking over at the four newly recruited Shepherds. Then he saw nothing but white as something soft and cold hit him in the face.

"Damn, that was good throw," Gaius laughed.

"I know, right?" Lissa giggled. "I've been practicing my aim. Thankfully there's an abundance of snow here, so I have an infinite amount of snowballs to practice with."

Brushing the snow off of his face, Robin started to form his own snowball in his hand out of magic.

"Robin, get that maniacal grin off of your face," Chrom chuckled. "You have to admit that it was a good throw."

"Feh, fine," Robin said as he clicked his tongue.

Robin dispelled his ice magic with a flick of his wrist while shooting the yellow princess a glare that said, ' _This isn't over_.' Lissa answered him by sticking her tongue out at him.

"Shepherds!" Chrom drew the attention of his friends. "I'd like to introduce four new members into our number! This is Severa, Owain, Cynthia, and Inigo!"

The four future children stood awkwardly. Robin wasn't surprised at their reactions. In their time, the Shepherds were heralded as heroes, each one having the strength to rival a legion of soldiers. They were standing in the midst of their living legends and parents. Robin eagerly followed Owain and Inigo's eyes in an attempt to see who they were looking at.

Owain's eyes were darting around from Shepherd to Shepherd, causing him to quickly give up on figuring out his parents. Inigo's eyes were also moving around, but instead of moving around in a frantic manner like Owain, his eyes were ones of yearning. He was looking for someone in the midst of the crowd.

Robin looked at the Shepherds. Everyone seemed to be accounted for, so perhaps Inigo's parents were members of the Shepherds they had yet to meet? Robin listed off the Shepherds in his head that had yet to be recruited. There was Henry, Cherche, and Say'ri. Out of those three, Cherche seemed to be a likely candidate since Virion and Cherche did marry in his world, but they had a son named Gerome. Henry and Say'ri both were completely different in terms of personality and mannerisms, so they didn't fit either. So who…?

Inigo's eyes stopped moving around and lit up. Not missing his chance, Robin followed the boy's eyes and found that they landed on a very timid woman with pink hair.

 _What the…Olivia?! There's no way…_

 _ **I wouldn't be too sure. Chrom did think Inigo was this Laslow that he met earlier.**_

 _I don't see how that has to do with anything._

 _ **According to Chrom, this Laslow character was a very talented dancer, and he wished for all the happiness in the world for a woman who danced with as much grace as he did, right?**_

 _That's not much to go on though. First off, the group Chrom met is supposedly from the lands of Hoshido and Nohr, both of which are near-mythical kingdoms. Inigo came with Severa from a future a couple decades from now, and I don't think Inigo is an immortal._

 _ **What if time-travel played a part?**_

 _That's a little far-fetched, don't you think?_

 _ **Says the one that literally traveled through time and space to a different world where he met a different version of himself but female and met the children of the Shepherds who came from a ruined future to the exact same world?**_

 _...You raise some valid counters…_

 _ **Just think on it. While you do that, I think I'll take a little nap.**_

 _Alright - wait, what?_

 _ **What's wrong?**_

 _How the hell do you take a nap?_

 _ **...By closing your eyes and falling asleep for a short period of time? Duh.**_

 _That's not what I'm asking, smartass. I'm asking how YOU, a singularity inside my head, can take the action of a physical being such as a nap._

 _ **...Uhh...umm...hmm...zzz…**_

 _Oh, you ass - There's no way that anyone can fall asleep that quickly!_

 _ **...zzz...I'm sleeping...I can't answer you…**_

 _You're not very convincing...I hope you know that._

 _ **Do these z's not convince you that I'm sleeping?**_

 _No. No, it does not._

 _ **Alright, then how about -**_

 _Then how about what?_

 _Hey...HEY! Oh...I see what you did there. You cunning bastard._

* * *

"I thought their army was supposed to have all but collapsed," Chrom muttered, glaring accusingly at his tacticians.

"Supposed to be doesn't exactly mean that they are," Reina replied.

"That's a LOT of soldiers…" Robin simply said, surveying the area.

Chrom, Reina, and Reina were standing on the walls of the Ylissean border. Behind them was thirty-eight thousand soldiers of Ylisse and Regna Ferox. Approaching the wall was an army of Plegians, led by the Mad King Gangrel himself. They numbered at least sixty thousand, nearly doubling the Ylissean and Feroxi army. Turning around to face his army, Chrom wordlessly gathered their attention as he looked at them from atop the wall.

"Shepherds! Men and women of Ylisse and Ferox!" Chrom boomed. "I was never one for lengthy speeches because I'm terrible at them, so I'll keep this short."

A ripple of laughs spread through their ranks.

"My sister, Exalt Emmeryn wished for peace, as did we all. The Plegians also wished for peace, but it was only because of their king, Gangrel, and the actions of my late father that this war happened. All I ask of you is that you stand with me again today once again. One last battle, and this pointless bloodshed with Plegia will be over!"

The instantaneous cheer from the army was deafening. Every last one of them raised their voices, pounding their swords on their shields and raising their weapons. A proud smile formed on Chrom's face as he viewed the majestic spectacle before him.

"For Emmeryn!" Chrom raised his fist.

"FOR EMMERYN!" The army roared.

Stepping off the wall, Chrom led his army out the gates of Ylisstol and into the grey-zone, where Gangrel and his army was waiting. The Mad King had a twisted smile on his face as he let the Shepherds approach. By his side were four generals, one of them being Mustafa. He was sporting new scars across his body, no doubt inflicted by Gangrel after the duel with Chrom. Behind both Gangrel and his generals was his army of Plegians. Each one of them looked downcast, having no desire to fight.

"Good day, my little princeling!" Gangrel sneered. "Still dreaming of your squashed sister?"

Chrom calmly stepped forward. "No more talk, Gangrel. Today, you die, and peace returns to Ylisse and Plegia."

"Pah!" Gangrel spat on the ground. "Such hypocrisy! You despise me, wretch! You want to cut me down! You don't know the first thing about peace! No man does!"

"I know more than you ever will," Chrom replied.

"More than me? More than ME?" Gangrel roared in laughter, his face contorting into a hideous sneering mask. As his laughter subsided, he glared at Chrom. "You ARE me!" he screamed, pointing a crooked finger at the prince. "When life asks you a question, you answer with blood!"

Chrom took in a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Maybe you're right… I will never be my sister." He opened his eyes, and his eyes almost seemed to glow through sheer will alone. "However, I am not like you, Gangrel. Our ideals are much too different from one another for you to even begin to compare us both. You, who stands alone while ruling his people with fear, will never understand the strength that supports me...the strength that supported Emmeryn. While you stand alone, I stand beside my friends, my family, and brothers and sisters in arms. Theirs is a strength that yours cannot hold a candle to!"

"...Are you done?" Gangrel drawled, rolling his eyes. "You utter nothing but gilded words, princeling! You say that those that are standing behind you are your brothers and sisters, but each one of them wouldn't hesitate to run a dagger in your back when tempted! They are nothing more than beasts - beasts that use each other for their own benefit! For their own selfish purpose! And beasts do not stand behind a beasts, little prince. No…no, they devour one another the moment they get the chance!"

"Perhaps this explains why your own soldiers refuse to stand behind you?" Chrom noted, raising an eyebrow at the king. "You're but a poison, Gangrel. A festering wound. And I will do what my sister could not," he finished, drawing Falchion.

"Tsk, such a clever tongue you have, little prince…" Gangrel growled. "It will look quite fetching hanging on my mantle, next to your sister's mangled corpse!"

Taking a step forward, Chrom spoke again, but not at Gangrel. "Plegians! Those of you who do not wish to battle may lower your weapons! You have my word that no harm shall come to those that do so!"

Gangrel sneered at Chrom, but faltered as General Mustafa stuck his axe into the ground and stepped aside. Seeing one of their generals throwing his weapon aside, the rest of the Plegian army followed suit. The ground rumbled from the sheer number of weapons that clattered to the floor as they followed Mustafa off the battlefield. Only a ten-thousand soldiers remained of the original sixty thousand, and two of Gangrel's generals looked uneasy. It was by their loyalty alone to their king that stayed their feet.

"Pah! All of you will pay dearly for this treachery!" Gangrel shrieked at his deserting men. "As for you…your head will look lavishing on a pike!" Gangrel sneered at Chrom. "Come!"

"If you wish," Chrom coldly replied. His calm voice had a deadly edge to it. "I'll wipe that smile off your face."

"Cocky brat!" Gangrel seethed. "Kill them!"

Gangrel pointed his sword at the Chrom, and what remained of his army charged.

* * *

Lucina drew her sword. Her hand was trembling as she stared at the incoming army of Plegians. She tightly grasped Falchion in an attempt to stop the shaking. This would mark the first day that she'd take a human life in her entire life, and dread was coming over her.

"It's okay, Lucina," Owain said from her right. "If you don't want to, you can disarm them and prevent them from fighting."

Lucina shook her head. "I'm afraid this is something I must do sooner or later in the future."

Owain nodded at her. "Then know that we're here to support you."

"That's right," Inigo agreed. "We're in this together. All of us. The feeling of taking a life is still fresh to us, so allow us to be your support. I'm sure Cynthia would be saying the same thing were she not in the skies with Lady Sumia and Lady Cordelia."

"Don't you even think of running away either," Severa snapped. Then in a much more quiet voice, she added, "You're the crown princess and the Exalt of our time. That's not a title that I'm looking forward to taking anytime soon, so you better keep those titles forever."

"Thank you," Lucina smiled. "All of you."

"You're very welcome, dear Lucina," Inigo quipped. "Let's speak later once - woah…" His voice came to a halt.

"Inigo?" Lucina followed his gaze. "What's - oh…"

Magic on a grand scale was being continuously cast in front of them. Countless magic circles were scattered around the air, half of them a bright blue and the other half sunset orange. A seemingly endless barrage of magic was shooting out; enormous prisms of ice and blazing fireballs rained down on the Plegians like a storm of ice and fire.

"Who - how?!" Inigo sputtered. "Magic on this scale would require multiple squads of mages simultaneously casting magic, but I don't see them around anywhere!"

"It's not a group of mages," Lucina knowingly smiled at the two tacticians who were standing beside her father, both having a single arm raised. "It's just two tacticians."

"No way!" Severa said in disbelief.

"I speak the truth," Lucina pointed at Robin and Reina. "Look."

Her fellow time travelers looked forward, spotted the two time/world travelers, looked back at the havoc the two were conducting, and then their jaws hit the floor.

"Hey hey! Bubbles, Snowflake!" Gaius laughed. "How can I earn my share of sweets if you wipe them out like this?"

"Leave some for the rest of us," Sully huffed.

The tacticians smirked and cancelled their magic. As the last of the destructive magic fell down, Lucina looked past the field and at Gangrel. The Mad King's face was a mixture of rage and shock, much to Lucina's amusement. The large field between the two armies was now charred black with flames licking the bodies of the dead, half of them frozen on the floor.

"By all means, go ahead," Robin grinned.

"That's what I wanted to hear!" Vaike said, swinging his axe down in front of him.

Robin then raised an eyebrow at his counterpart. "When did you come up with that magic?"

"I didn't spend the entire week at Ferox doing nothing," Reina answered with a shrug. "I call it _'_ _Freeze Prism'_."

"That's a pretty 'cool' magic."

"And yours? A rain of fire?"

"Believe it or not, this was my first test with it," Robin said. "Taking a page out of your book, I think I'll name it _'Inferno'_."

"Neato."

"Shepherds! Advance!" Chrom roared as he ran forward.

A thunderous cry was let out from the army behind Chrom as they followed their prince. Lucina let out a silent cry of her own as she tightly gripped Falchion in her main hand. She didn't even realize that she had reached the enemy until her arm moved on its own, diverting one of the Plegian soldier's axe swings. The Plegian swung his axe upwards at Lucina, who sidestepped and brought down her sword on the Plegian's exposed neck. Lucina felt Falchion slice through each muscle, cut through bone, and felt each little resistance as she decapitated the Plegian.

Lucina felt her lunch come up but forced it back down. She didn't have time to think about the person she just killed as she defended herself from another Plegian, cutting him down within seconds. Then a third, fourth, fifth…she soon stopped counting the number. She'd have to deal with the remorse and guilt later, but as of now, she had to fight.

She risked a glance at her friends beside her. Each of their faces were grim. Severa had a scowl on her face as she crouched low, swiped at her opponent's knees, causing him to collapse. Before the Plegian had time to do anything else, Severa ran her sword through his chest before roughly pulling it back out. Lucina saw her sister's jaw clench before she moving on.

Owain and Inigo were working together in unison, tag teaming their enemies and covering each other's openings. They were always close in the future, acting together in their skirmishes against the Risen, so it wasn't surprising to see them supporting each other here. Inigo was doing his best to keep his smile on his face while Owain was yelling out random lines. He even threw a rock at a Plegian's face while yelling, "SACRED STONES!"

Distracted from watching her friends, Lucina was too late in noticing two Plegians approaching. She instantly brought up her sword in a defensive stance when a red and white blur swooped in behind the Plegians. With two quick thrusts from her spear, Cordelia pierced through the hearts of the unsuspecting Plegians.

"Mo - Lady Cordelia!" Lucina stammered.

"Stay focused," Cordelia said, swinging her spear around her and through the chest of another Plegian soldier. "Trust your friends that they'll make it through this fight as they put that same trust in you!"

"Yes ma'am!" Lucina smartly replied.

Cordelia gave her a nod before taking off to the skies once more. Her mother was right. Lucina and her friends had been through countless fights before and survived, so she had no reason to doubt that they'd do the same again.

Her hand no longer shaking, Lucina moved forward with newfound resolve. Any Plegian that was unfortunate to cross her was cut down instantly. Whenever she needed support, help would come without her saying anything. The Shepherds moved as one large body with Robin and Reina being the mind. They would shout orders over the chaos of the battle, knowing exactly when and where a unit would be needed before anyone else knew it. Of course, the grief and horror of cutting down a fellow human still reverberated through her entire body, but she forced that feeling aside to the depths of her mind. Wallowing in remorse now would only put both her and her friends in danger.

"You know, it's strange," Severa said from beside her.

"What is?" Lucina asked, running her sword through a Plegian's gut.

"Robin and Reina…both of them came from a future that was lost, right?"

"Yes, they did," Lucina answered, not sure where her sister was going with this.

"..." Severa narrowed her eyes at the tacticians.

"What is it?" Lucina asked.

"...Nothing…" Severa quickly said, moving ahead and leaving a confused Lucina behind.

Casting her confusion to the back of her mind, Lucina pressed forward again. A wall of Plegian knights stood in front of her, intending to stop the cerulean princess. Disregarding the wall of steel, Lucina ran forward as the knights leveled their spears from behind their shields. One of them threw his spear, which Lucina ducked under. As she drew closer, thunder boomed in the skies above her as lighting cracked down on the Plegians, wiping them out instantly. A cloud of dust plumed out from the area of impact with a white haired tactician calmly strolling out.

"What were you thinking, running at the wall of knights like that?" Robin questioned her. "What would you have done had I not gotten here in time?"

"But I knew you'd be able to get here," Lucina answered him with a smile.

"But what if I wasn't?" Robin countered, casually tossing a fireball behind him at a Plegian soldier.

"But that wouldn't happen with you, now would it?" Lucina replied.

"That's some trust you've got…" Robin muttered.

"The Shepherds are one big family, right? It's only natural to be trusting each other, is it not? Especially the master tactician from the future whose ability far surpasses any of us by a large margin," Lucina innocently said.

"..."

Robin said nothing as he put a hand up to his forehead. He lowered his hand and looked at Lucina as if he was going to say something but stopped himself. Then he turned around and started to walk way.

"Come on, let's wrap this up," Robin called over his shoulder. "The sooner the better."

Lucina nodded and followed Robin. As she pushed forward, Robin pulled back just a little so that Lucina was the one that was leading the two of them. Lucina wondered why Robin would do as such, but realized why. Robin was much more familiar with Lucina's fighting style than she was with his, so it'd be much easier for him to be her support. Robin would weave powerful magic between her attacks with terrifying accuracy. If Lucina's opponent was in the middle of attacking, Robin's magic would stop him for a moment for her to cut them down. If Lucina's blow wasn't enough to finish off an opponent, Robin's magic would deal the last hit.

The flawless coordination went on for some time until Lucina noticed that there was no one left that stood against the Shepherds. Except for a single person. A mad king. He stood still, glowering at Chrom, who was calmly approaching him.

"This is the end, Gangrel," Chrom said.

"Bah! This is nothing, you damned brat!" Gangrel spat.

Chrom sighed. "Give it up. You're surrounded by men who oppose you and men who do not wish to stand beside you."

"Give up? Give UP?!" Gangrel was seething with rage. "What could possibly make you think that I'd have even an inkling of giving up?"

Chrom shook his head. There was no reasoning with the Mad King. The only way to stop him would be to kill him, so Chrom raised his sword. Gangrel was practically foaming at the mouth as he raised his lightning-shaped sword into air. The blade started to glow, and Chrom jumped to the side as a bolt of lightning struck down where he was a moment ago.

Closing the gap between them in an instant, Chrom swung his blade down on the king. Gangrel raised his own sword to meet the blow when Chrom suddenly stopped, spinning on his toes as he delivered a devastating kick to Gangrel's stomach. Gangrel involuntarily coughed up a mixture of saliva and blood from the sudden kick as he stumbled backwards. He raised his sword up in front of him just in time to block a side swing by Chrom. Despite having blocked the blade, the strength of Chrom's swing was enough to send the king sliding backwards a few meters. Keeping his momentum, Chrom ran at Gangrel.

"Damned brat!" Gangrel shrieked, raising his sword into the air.

Another bolt of lightning descended from the skies. This time, Chrom didn't even bother to dodge as he kept running. Gangrel's attack hit Chrom square in the chest, and a plume of dust erupted on the spot. A sneer formed on Gangrel's face while Lucina let out a gasp at what very well may have been her father's death. She felt a strong hand on her shoulder before she could run out.

"He's fine," Robin said, calming the princess. "It'll take much, MUCH more than that to hurt Chrom."

Lucina glanced back and forth at the cloud of dust and Robin. A second later, just as Robin said, Chrom burst out of the cloud of dust as he made a mad dash at Gangrel. There was no sign of any damage on him aside from a bit of smoke from his chestplate.

"What?! H-how?!" Gangrel sputtered, swinging his sword wildly at the prince.

Chrom easily parried Gangrel's pitiful attacks, breaking the king's guard in a single stroke of his sword. Before the king could recover, Chrom stepped in and plunged Falchion through Gangrel's chest.

"B-but...how?" Gangrel coughed.

"Compared to Robin's lightning, yours was nothing more than a bit of static," Chrom answered, wrenching his sword out from Gangrel's chest.

Lucina angrily glared at Robin upon hearing her father's words. "Robin…did you shoot lightning at my father?"

"Uhh…" Robin bashfully looked away while scratching his head. "I…may or may not have hit him a few times during practice…okay…maybe not a few times, but dozens of times…"

Lucina's glare intensified.

"But it was never anything too serious!" Robin hastily added. "I started off with weaker-than- _Thunder_ spells while gradually using stronger magic to build up his resistance to magic at constant rate!"

"Robin…" Lucina took in a deep breath. Robin felt a chill run down his spine as she did so. "Gangrel's Levin Sword did not look as weak as a _Thunder's_ cast. Word is that his magic is stronger than an _Elthunder_ , while almost reaching an _Arcthunder's_ power."

"Umm…I guess my plan to raise Chrom's resistance worked?" Robin tried for a smile but faltered under Lucina's piercing gaze.

Making a note to continue this talk later, Lucina looked back over at her father and the downed king. Gangrel was collapsed on his knees as blood poured from his mouth. Her father was standing a couple steps away, and the two were exchanging words.

"It didn't have to be like this," Chrom solemnly said. "Plegia and Ylisse could have worked together, to build a land of peace."

"Tch, spare me," Gangrel clicked his tongue. "We both know that will never come to pass."

"You could've at least tried - "

"You think I didn't!?" Gangrel spat. "I tried. I _did_. Over two decades ago, I tried, but your bastard of a father didn't even want to listen. No, no all he did was toss my proposal for peace to the side as if it was NOTHING! And then…and then? Do you know what he did? He invited my family and I over under the pretense of a peace talk. When we arrived, he slaughtered my guards, took my wife and my daughter prisoner and threw my son and I into your dungeon. Then, right in front of my eyes, he beheaded my son and raped the two most important women in my life, all the while I was chained behind bars, unable to do anything to help them."

Chrom took a step back in shock. He knew his father had committed a great many acts of cruelty, but he never heard of this. For all he knew, Gangrel could be lying, but the grief and hatred in the king's eyes were real.

"After your damned father had his way with them, he threw them to his soldiers to be nothing but their toys," Gangrel continued, trembling with rage. "Night after night, I heard their screams. And then, when they finally broke, they were executed before my very eyes. I know not what happened after that except I was fleeing through the very area where we stand now. Then your father leads his army in his little "crusade" before my people and I had time to grieve for the loss of our queen, prince, and princess."

"Gangrel…"

"Don't look at me with those pathetic eyes, princeling," Gangrel snarled. "I don't want your damned pity. Unlike your father, I would have never committed the acts that he did upon your sisters and women. I would have given them the mercy of death! And yet, I'm the cruel one?" He laughed, causing blood to erupt from his mouth, splattering blood on the ground in front of him. Slowly, he looked up and glared at Chrom with hollowed eyes. "I'll be watching you, princeling. I'll be watching your every move at your attempt for peace from hell. And when you finally fail, when you approach Death's door? I'll be one to personally greet you."

With his final curse, Gangrel let out one last laugh before he stopped moving. He let out his last breath with a grin on his face as his body fell sideways onto the ground.

Gangrel was dead. The war was over and the Ylisseans emerged victorious. Yet, there was no cry of victory, no joyous voice; nothing could be heard. Every eye was focused on the late king of Plegia and the Ylissean prince as they constantly replayed Gangrel's words in their heads. Chrom himself was horror-struck as the hidden actions of his father were brought to light. Heads turned as Cordelia slowly made her way to Chrom, dismounting off her pegasus. Each step she took looked as if it pained her, and in a way, she looked even more timid than Olivia. She came to a stop just behind Chrom as she silently stared at his back. Then she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

Chrom blinked, unaware of what happened. Looking down, he saw Cordelia's arms around his waist, and slowly raised his hand to hold hers. Moments passed as the two held their embrace before Chrom lowered Cordelia's arms. Giving her a small smile, Chrom gently picked up Gangrel's body and started walking over to the Plegian army.

As he approached, Mustafa calmly walked out to meet the prince.

"Here." Chrom lifted Gangrel up to Mustafa. "He deserves to be buried in the kingdom he ruled, along with the proper burial rites. Do with him as you will."

For a moment, Mustafa said nothing. Relieving Chrom of Gangrel's corpse, he looked into Chrom's eyes.

"You've changed from being nothing more than a grieving lad into a man of respect in such a short time, Prince Chrom."

"I wasn't able to do it alone. I had help from my friends...and from you," Chrom answered.

Mustafa nodded, giving Chrom what seemed to he a look of approval. Then he collapsed onto one knee in a bow.

"All hail Prince Chrom of Ylisse!" Mustafa shouted.

Behind him, the entire Plegian army kneeled down and so did the Shepherds and the Ylissean-Feroxi army.

"ALL HAIL PRINCE CHROM OF YLISSE!" They chanted in unison. Their voices shook the air and the earth shook as they pounded their weapons onto the ground.

Chrom looked around in amazement as nearly 90,000 people lowered their heads in respect and reverence. Taking in a large breath, he addressed the two armies.

"Plegians!" Chrom yelled. "Feroxi, Ylisseans, and my Shepherds! Today, the war between our nations is finally over!"

A deafening cheer erupted from every man and woman on the field.

"All this needless bloodshed began with my late father, whose hidden truths I just learned of," Chrom continued. "For that, you have my sincerest of apologies." Chrom lowered his head at the Plegians who were stunned at Chrom's humility. "I realize that some of you still hold a grudge against Ylisse for the atrocities committed by my father. But I hope that we can work through our past and bring forth a time for peace and prosperity between our nations!"

Another cheer erupted from the two armies, one that put the former cheer to shame in its volume. Giving General Mustafa one last nod, Chrom turned around and started heading back to the Shepherds. He was only able to take a couple steps before a red blur threw herself into his arms. Catching Cordelia, Chrom gracefully twirled her around before gently setting her back down on the ground. Then, placing one hand on her waist and another behind her head, Chrom pulled the woman he cared so much for into a loving embrace as his lips met hers. Cordelia's face turned beet red as she took a second time realize what was going on before returning the kiss.

A third cheer rose from the spectators as half of them whistled at the two lovers. Then a collective gasp resonated throughout said group as they witnessed Chrom lower himself onto one knee. Reaching up, he took off a small cord that was wrapped around his neck that had a ring attached to it. Robin recognized that ring from his previous world. It was a ring that bore the Ylissean crest, given to him by his mother to give to the woman he would spend the rest of his life with.

"Cordelia…I don't even know where to begin," Chrom started. "Without you, I don't think I'd be who I am right now nor do I think that I'd be standing here. Words alone cannot express the amount of gratitude and the feelings I have towards you so…so…wh-what I'm trying to say is…"

"Chrom…" Cordelia gasped as tears started to well up in her eyes.

"Cordelia…will you grant me the honor of being my partner in life? Throughout all our days?" Chrom finally said, his face almost as red as Cordelia's.

Not even a second after Chrom finished speaking, Cordelia threw herself into Chrom's arms once more as she cried tears of mirth and joy.

"Oh yes! Yes, yes, yes, a million times yes!" Cordelia cried. "Oh, Chrom! You've just made me the happiest woman in the world!"

"And you just made me that happiest man," Chrom softly replied, planting a kiss on Cordelia's lips again, and another roar erupted from the crowed of spectators.

The newly engaged couple stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity. It was a picture-perfect scene that no one dared to interrupt. Save for two certain time-travelers who had a very mischievous grin on their faces.

"GET A ROOM!" Robin and Reina both yelled out simultaneously, the former earning himself a smack on the head from Lucina.

Chrom and Cordelia quickly parted lips, having forgotten that they were quite literally out in the open. A ripple of laughter spread throughout both armies as they went their separate ways, one to Plegian and the other to Ylisse. Despite having ended a war, both parties were in high spirits due to the proposal from Chrom to Cordelia, and laughter and jokes were being thrown around as they returned home.

In the midst of the Ylissean army, Robin made his way towards Lucina and Severa who were walking side by side. Neither sister heard Robin as he approached, and he leaned his head in between the two.

"Boo."

Both sisters visibly jumped as they wheeled around to see an amused Robin.

"So, I think I'm right in saying that you two are the ONLY two that witnessed their parents' proposal," Robin grinned, keeping his voice just low enough so that no one else around would hear him.

Lucina looked forward at her parents. They were leading the army back to Ylisstol while holding hands. Reina and Sumia were walking just beside them with large grins on their faces as they peppered the couple with questions.

"It's quite the heartwarming scene," Lucina finally said. "To see my parents together like this once more brings me more joy than you can imagine."

"Yeah, it's a bittersweet feeling," Severa agreed. "I knew mom was always the hopeless romantic, but for dad to act all flustered like that? I never thought I'd see the day. We're even reunited as a family again, they just don't know it."

Robin gave the sisters a warm smile. "Your parents are blessed to have two wonderful daughters as you."

"Wh-what are you saying?!" Severa stammered.

"Now is not the time for teasing," Lucina said to Robin.

"But, I _am_ being serious…" Robin frowned.

Severa muttered something under her breath before she stormed off to join Owain, Inigo, and Cynthia, leaving behind a confused Robin and Lucina. Robin shrugged, putting Severa's actions as her just being her, and walked in silence with Lucina.

"By the way." Robin looked at the princess. "Will you be attending their wedding?"

Lucina frowned as she put a hand on her chin. "I'm not sure if I should…"

"Come on, I'm sure Chrom and Cordelia would be more than happy to have you attend their wedding," Robin said. "Besides, not everyone will be able to say that they were present not only for their parents' proposal but also for their wedding!"

"I suppose," Lucina lightly smiled. "But I'm afraid that I do not have any formal clothes to wear to such an occasion, nor do the rest of my friends."

"Hmm, you can always ask Sumia and Lissa for help on clothes," Robin suggested. "I don't doubt that they'll be happy to pick out something for you, Severa, and Cynthia to wear. As for Owain and Inigo, uhh…I'm afraid that there aren't that many male Shepherds that have a good taste in clothing."

"What about Sir Virion?" Lucina asked.

"No. No way in hell," Robin quickly answered. "The thought multiple people coming in with ruffles on their necks horrifies me, and I don't think Owain and Inigo will be too fond of wearing the clothes that Virion wears. Asking Vaike is definitely out of the question, and so is Lon'qu and Gaius. Stahl is a maybe, and so is Frederick, but I'm sure Frederick is going to be glued to Chrom's side during the entire time, so the chances of him helping others out on picking clothes is pretty much nonexistent. I think having Lissa help out the girls and Sumia the guys would be the best choice."

Lucina nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of Owain and Inigo," Robin recalled one of his thoughts from earlier in the day. "Who are their parents? I already talked to Cynthia about her parents, so the only ones I don't know would be those two's."

"Sir Virion and Lady Olivia are Inigo's parents," Lucina whispered so that no passing ear would be able to hear.

"That explains a LOT of Inigo's personality with Virion as his father," Robin mused.

"Not exactly," Lucina said. "Sir Virion perished not long after Inigo was born."

"Oh…I'm sorry."

"It's quite alright," Lucina looked at Inigo's back. "As a child, Inigo was as timid as Lady Olivia, perhaps even more so. Lady Olivia wished to help him overcome his shyness by having him talk to girls often, which worked...but in turn caused him to end up with a bit of a flirtatious personality."

"I see," Robin muttered. "And here I was sure that Inigo would've learned from Virion. What about Owain?"

"Owain is the son of Aunt Lissa and Uncle Henry - "

"HWAH?!" Robin let out a strangled noise. "Henry?!"

Lucina nodded. "Aunt Lissa said that she was having trouble sleeping during the Valmese war, and Uncle Henry went above and beyond to help her get some rest. Then Uncle Henry proposed to Aunt Lissa out of the blue one day, and she accepted."

"Out of the blue…huh? That does sound like something Henry would do," Robin laughed as he remembered the wild antics of the dark mage. Henry was always fun to hang around with since it was never the same with him. To think that he'd have a child that was just as entertaining as him would make sense.

"Oh, one more question, if you don't mind," Robin asked.

"Ask away."

"In your world…I…I didn't get married…right?" Robin hesitantly asked.

Lucina's gaze turned to the ground as she pondered on whether or not she should answer truthfully. Figuring that Robin wouldn't want a lie, she told him the truth. "…no, I'm sorry to say that you didn't get married," she dejectedly said.

"…I was afraid of that…" Robin sighed. He looked as if he aged a few years in the last couple of seconds.

"Robin…"

"Don't worry about it," Robin forced a smile. "I was too busy with tactics and all, so I never did have time for romance in my world. It makes sense that it'd be the same in yours."

Lucina wanted to say something, anything, to help ease Robin's pain. But what could she say? Nothing that she could think of would make him feel better after hearing such terrible news.

"But hey," Robin piped up. "Maybe this time it'll be different. After all, it's best if one takes their Fate into their own hands, right?"

Lucina looked at Robin. She was surprised to see that the smile on his face wasn't forced, but one that was of genuine hope and confidence. Seeing that, she couldn't help but smile herself.

"You're right," Lucina smiled.

"Now come on, let's go ask your aunt and Sumia to see if they're willing to pick out clothes for both you and your friends," Robin said, jogging ahead.

* * *

"…Uurgh…my head…"

A young girl groaned as she found herself lying face down on a cold floor. Her head was throbbing in pain as she slowly raised herself on one knee. She looked around to find herself in a very strange and unusual place. The floor, walls, and ceiling was a bright blue color as they gave off a small glow. A multitude of cubes of the same material of all sizes could be suspended in midair as they defied gravity.

"Okay, remember what father said," the girl said to herself. " _Whenever you find yourself waking up in a strange place and you feel as if you're going to freak out, take a quick moment to take a deep breath and collect your thoughts."_

The girl slowly stood to her feet as she breathed in deep through her nose and let it out through her mouth.

"Done." The girl mentally made a checklist in her head. _"_ _Next, see what you have on your person, from the clothes on your back to any small trinkets to the weapons that you're carrying."_

The girl looked down at her clothes. She was wearing a black coat with gold embroideries. It was a couple sizes too big for her, which was to be expected since it originally belonged to her father, but she kept it since it was one of the only three things she had left to remember him by. Down by her waist was a simple, yet elegant sword made of silver with a cross shaped guard.

Inside her coat was the second of three things that she remembered her father by; a small book that was titled, "Beginner's Guide to Strategies". It was given to her by her father and his personal notes and dog-ears could be found all throughout the book. Stowing her father's book back into her pocket, the girl let out a tired sigh.

" _The last thing is the most important one. Remember anything and everything that I told you and what you can remember about yourself. If you feel pain in your head, stop since forcing yourself will do nothing. I speak from personal experience."_

That was the third and final thing that she had to remember her father by; his teachings. Taking a deep breath, she slowly closed her hand into a fist before opening it. She repeated this a few times before she channeled mana into it. With a crackling sound, her arm was now covered in electricity as it arced around her skin. It was one of her father's original magic, one that he created in times when he didn't have a weapon, and it was both his and her favorite way to fight.

Flicking her wrist, she dispelled her magic.

"Who are you?" A male voice suddenly asked from behind her.

The girl turned around. Her eyes widened as she found a black-haired boy that looked to be the same age as her standing with his weapon drawn. Her eyes moved up and down the boy's weapon, taking in it's unique shape. It was similar in design to a katana, only the blade and handle was slightly larger and a second, shorter blade was protruding out from the other end of the hilt. It looked as if someone got two katanas and combined them to create a twin-blade. But this wasn't what shocked her.

What shocked her was that the boy was wearing the same coat as hers, or at least, one that looked very similar. It was one-of-a-kind, and her father only gave her his coat just recently, so there was no way that there'd be a second.

"Who are you?" the boy asked again. "And why do you have my mother's cloak?"

The girl blinked, confused. "That's my line. Why are you wearing the same cloak as me, a gift from my father?"

The two stared at one another quizzically. After what seemed like an eternity, the boy sighed and put his weapon away.

"I suppose introductions are in order," the boy said.

The girl nodded.

"My name is Marc, son of Reina, tactician to the Shepherds of Ylisse," the boy, Marc, said.

"No way! My father is a tactician to the Shepherds too!" the girl exclaimed. "I'm Morgan, daughter of Robin, tactician of the Shepherds of Ylisse!"

* * *

 **And with that, the Gangrel arc is finally over! It only took seventeen chapters.**

 **Chrom raised a pretty big death flag with Cordelia in the previous chapter, but looks like she avoided it and survived. And now she got her greatest wish granted as she is now engaged to Chrom. I guess now I should update the story and make the pairing as Chrom/Cordelia.  
Speaking of Chrom and Cordelia and them getting married...I'm going to say this upfront. I'm not overly familiar with weddings since I scarcely attended them in real life. That being said, do you guys still want a wedding scene/chapter while knowing that it'll quite possibility be a lackluster telling of it?**

 **Also, Gangrel. Inspiration for the backstory on him and how he became the Mad King of Plegia was greatly inspired by fellow writer, LucythePir8. Many thanks. Go check out her stories.**

 **A couple more easter-eggs here and there for those of you who wish to search for them. Two are pretty damn obvious.**

 **And that's all for now! (not really)**

* * *

 **Comment/Review Replies:**

 **\- Schmacklar: Thanks for the tip. I didn't know the difference between the two, and honestly thought them to be the same. Thanks again for the correction :)**

 **\- HelloPotato: I think it's safe to say that GS/GS:TLA is my favorite games of all time.  
Issac and Felix aren't really silent protagonists. Sure, neither of them say a single line in their respective games (with the exception of Felix and his infamous "..." line in GS:TLA). But in GS, Felix is quite talkative, and in TLA, Issac is quite talkative. But yeah, they're fantastic games. I still own both copies of the game and a black GBA:SP that's surprisingly still in good condition after all these years.**

 **\- Antex: Ahaha, a Q &A is only if I get a decent amount of questions to make one. Also, thanks for the pointing out the typo of Gerome's name replacing Inigo!**

 **\- Anon: As with Antex, thank you for pointing that out. I forgot about Kraden since you never actually control him. He's just...there as the insightful old man.**

 **Thank you all for your support, and I'll see you in the next!**


	18. (XVIII) To The Hunt I

"You're heading out?"

"Yup. There's reports of dangerous beasts lurking around an old village up north, so I'm going to see what I can do."

"I see. Are you going alone?"

"Aww, are you worried about me?"

"..."

"I'll take your silence as a 'yes'."

Robin groaned into his hands as Reina playfully grinned. It's been two weeks since the death of Gangrel and one week since Chrom and Cordelia's wedding. The sun had come up an hour ago and the two tacticians were standing in front of Ylisstol's northern gates. Reina had a knapsack over her shoulder, no doubt full of food and supplies for the trip.

"To answer your question, I won't be going alone," Reina said. "I'll have Gaius, Lon'qu, and Panne with me. Since we'll most likely be hunting the beasts the villagers are being attacked by, Panne's keen senses will do doubt prove beneficial, while Gaius and Lon'qu are good at stealth."

"This sounds more like an assassination mission more than a simple beast hunt," Robin muttered, crossing his arms.

"Trust me, Bubbles," a sudden voice said from behind Robin. "If it was an assassination, I guarantee you that four's four times too big of a party."

Robin looked over his shoulder and was greeted by a familiar face complete with a candy stick in his mouth and a stern faced swordsman behind him. "Gaius, Lon'qu."

Lon'qu gave a curt nod towards Robin and Reina as Gaius spoke again.

"Panne should be arriving any moment now," the thief informed. "Something about needing some weeds and a plant."

Reina nodded. "This shouldn't take too long." She turned towards Robin. "With luck, we should be back within a few weeks."

"I guess I won't be here to celebrate your return if that's the case," Robin said.

"You're going somewhere?" Reina asked.

"Yup. I plan on heading to the Garden of Giants in a few days."

"But that's off the west coast of Valm!" Reina exclaimed.

"I'm well aware of that fact. But I'd rather go sooner than later to look for the Light elemental tomes back from my world," Robin explained.

"And you decide to wait to tell your prince that you'll be leaving the continent?" A familiar voice said.

"Greetings, prince," Robin chuckled as he turned around. "Or is it Exalt now? Or would you prefer King?"

Chrom gave Robin a stern look. "How about none of those formalities?"

"Fine fine." Robin raised his hands in a mock surrender. "But what of your dearly beloved?" Robin turned to look at the red haired woman standing beside Chrom. "How shall I address you, milady?"

"'Cordelia' is fine," Cordelia smiled at Robin. "You may use formalities with me, but just know that I'll start addressing you as 'Sir Robin' and 'Lord Tactician'."

Robin paled at her words. "I think I'll just stick with 'Cordelia'."

Cordelia gave Robin another smile before turning towards the departing group. "Good morning, Reina, Lon'qu, Gaius."

"Morning!" Reina chirped.

"Heya." Gaius raised a single hand in a greeting.

Lon'qu took an uneasy step back as his blood left his face.

"Going back to what I was saying before," Chrom started, shooting Robin a glare. "I've known about Reina's group leaving, but you? Why didn't you tell me that'd you were planning on travelling across the world?"

Robin shrugged. "Because the thought occurred to me last night before I fell asleep. From my experience, Light elemental magic is difficult to control, so I'll be leaving in search of tomes."

"I thought Light magic was lost a millennia ago," Chrom said.

"Technically, you're not wrong," Robin agreed. "But in my world, I was able to discover an ancient library on an island just off Chon'sin. With luck, I'll find the same two tomes as before, and maybe even more this time around."

"And I'm assuming that you plan on heading out alone?" Chrom asked, crossing his arms.

"Yup."

Chrom sighed. "At least have someone tag along with you."

"I was originally planning on going there with Reina, but she'll be busy with her beast hunt." Robin pointed over his shoulder. "Oh hey, it's Panne!" he added upon noticing the Taguel.

"Robin." Panne gave him a single nod. Normally she'd just call him 'man-spawn' and scowl, so Robin considered this to be a huge improvement.

"Well, since my team's gathered, we'll be heading out now!" Reina cheerfully said.

Cordelia rushed over and gave Reina a large hug. "Stay safe."

"I will, don't worry," Reina said, returning the hug. "I have Panne, Gaius, and Lon'qu with me, so I'll definitely be fine."

Cordelia nodded. Then she looked at Gaius and Lon'qu. "Don't let any harm come to Reina."

"Jeez, I'm pretty sure that she'd be fine even without our help," Gaius muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing."

Gaius quickly looked away from Cordelia as Reina laughed. Leaning towards Chrom, Robin whispered, "Your wife is terrifying."

Panne's ears twitched as she gave Robin a curious look. Noticing this, Robin quickly shot her a look.

' _Don't you dare!'_ Robin silently said.

Panne slightly tilted her head. ' _Why should I not?'_

' _I'll make you carrot stew on your return if you keep quiet.'_

' _Hmm…alright.'_

' _Thank you, Panne.'_

 _. . ._

"When are you leaving?" Chrom asked as he watched Reina and her group leave.

"By the end of the week," Robin answered.

"Are you sure you'll be fine alone?" Cordelia worried for him.

The three turned around and walked back through Ylisstol's gates. The streets were bustling with energy as crowds of people rushed around.

"I'll be fine. I've faced the mercenary group there before, and I'll be able to do it again," Robin replied reassuringly. "Besides, from what happened in both my world and Reina's, we'll be in a time of peace for the next couple of years. So there's no need to have two tacticians with you, right?"

Chrom frowned, obviously not happy about the fact that his best friend and both of his tacticians were leaving for the time being. Seeing his unease, Cordelia laced her fingers through Chrom's as they continued to make their way through the crowd.

"I'll be back before the initial invasion of the Valmese, so don't worry," Robin said. "I'll go start preparing to leave. I'll make sure to see you before I leave, how does that sound?"

"Alright, fine," Chrom sighed.

"Great! That's settled then!" Robin stretched his arms into the air. "I'll see you two around."

With that, Robin vanished into thin air with a small pop. Chrom put a hand on his chin as he stared at the spot Robin stood just a second ago.

"I know that look," Cordelia said, placing her hand on his arm. "You're not letting him go alone, are you?"

"Not if I can help it," Chrom answered. "I'm just thinking of who I can send to go along with him. I can't send the four from earlier since they're already out on a beast hunting mission, I can't send my sister, Maribelle has some family matters to take care of…"

"What about Gregor?" Cordelia suggested. "Stahl? Sully?"

"As much as I'd like to send Gregor, he's unfortunately up north in Regna Ferox," Chrom dejectedly said. "Catching up with Khan Basilio, no doubt. He even took Vaike along. As for Stahl and Sully…well, let's just say Stahl's hunger got the better of him when Sully was cooking."

"O-oh…" Cordelia had a pitying look in her eyes. Sully was infamous in the Shepherds for not having a single ounce of cooking ability, sending anyone who tasted her food to the infirmary within half an hour. "What about Frederick and Sumia? Virion?"

Chrom let out a sigh. "Unfortunately, our grand archer left a couple days ago to Valm in a hurry. Frederick will without a doubt refuse to leave my side, and he's been helping Sumia out on a few things here and there. Even Donnel went back to his village for the time being."

Cordelia remained silent as she cycled through the list of Shepherds in her head. Then her eyes lit up as she thought of someone that would be able to go along with Robin on his trip. When she told Chrom of who she thought of, Chrom immediately smiled, hugged his wife, and ran off in search of the potential candidate.

* * *

"Gah!"

Inigo let out a cry of pain as he took a kick to the chest. Regaining his balance, he swung his sword down on his opponent once more only to have attack parried for the dozenth time. From his left, Owain swung his sword down while Severa swung her blade in an upwards motion at the same time in a pincer attack. Any other opponent would have been downed by their teamwork, but their current opponent simply grinned as he jumped backwards to avoid the attack. He then extended his arm out to his side and easily caught a javelin that was a second away from hitting him. Easily throwing it back, Cynthia let out a startled scream as she jumped aside to avoid her javelin.

Breathing heavily, Inigo, Owain, and Severa formed a triangle around their single opponent. Quickly making eye-contact with each other, they formed a silent plan of attack. Severa ran in from their opponent's blind side as Owain and Inigo would distract him. All they needed was a second for Severa to land a blow and it'd be their victory.

Their plan went smoothly. Their opponent raised his sword to block Owain while grabbing Inigo's waist with the other, stopping them both. But stopping them would severely limit his movement, giving Severa the time she needed to quickly step in. And that's when things went wrong.

Just as Severa thrust her sword forward, her target casually sidestepped the blade without even looking. Sending a kick to Owain's stomach, he swung Inigo by his wrist and threw him into Severa, sending all three of them tumbling to the ground.

"G-get off me!" Severa snapped at Inigo.

"It's not my fault! I was thrown!" Inigo tried to defend himself.

"Get thrown someplace else!" Severa huffed as she struggled to stand.

"…Don't ask for the impossible…" Inigo muttered as he also struggled to rise.

They took their respective stances as their muscles screamed in agony. The difference in their strengths was too vast. The Future-Children had fought their entire lives, so their stamina was nothing to laugh at, nor were their skills with a blade. Yet here they were, battered and tired from a single opponent who had yet to break a single sweat. They got ready to move in again when they were interrupted by a new voice.

"Okay, that's enough!"

Severa let out a sigh of relief and Inigo's legs gave out. Looking up, Severa saw her sister handing a downed Owain a waterskin before making her way over to her.

"Th-thanks," Severa said, taking the waterskin. Opening it, she tilted her head back as she drank deeply. Water always seemed to taste better when you wanted it, and right now, the cool liquid tasted heavenly.

Taking a large gulp of water, Inigo looked up at their opponent. "I know you're plenty strong, but couldn't you have taken it a little easy on us?"

The white haired man frowned as he tilted his head. "I thought I was?"

Inigo's jaw dropped as Severa rolled her eyes.

"As…as expected…of a hero of legend…" Owain groaned from the ground.

Lucina turned to face Robin. A small smirk on his face as he casually twirled his sword around in his hands. Drawing Falchion, Lucina took her stance as Robin raised arched an eyebrow.

"You too?" Robin complained. "Don't you remember our last duel from a while back?"

Lucina remembered quite well the one-sided spar that she had with Robin almost a month ago. She hadn't even come close to even touching him then, but she got stronger in the past weeks. Lucina got ready to lunge as Robin let out a sigh.

"Hyah!"

Lucina closed the distance between her and Robin in a matter of seconds. Her arm was a blur as she unleashed a barrage of attacks on the tactician; a diagonal swing down at his left shoulder, followed by a horizontal swing from his right, upwards diagonal cut followed by her spinning on her feet do deliver a powerful blow that used both centrifugal force and gravity. Immediately after, while using the momentum from her last swing, she stepped in and threw in a heel kick followed by a flurry of quick jabs.

Each one of her blows was either blocked or dodged by Robin. Feeling as though this fight was going to be one-sided again, Lucina decided to try something new.

Pressing forward once more, Lucina made two diagonal slashes in the shape of an X, both of which were easily warded off. She then crouched low and swiped at Robin's ankles which he simply jumped over. Instead of standing back up, she decided to use the built up pressure and her legs to leap over Robin, all the while keeping up her barrage of attacks. Robin's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected jump, but he quickly regained his composure and a small smile started to form on his face. This was good. If he was able to be surprised from her jump, then he definitely wouldn't expect what Lucina was planning next.

Switching to a one-handed grip on Falchion, Lucina attacked once more. A vertical swing down at his shoulder followed by a horizontal swing, a wide spinning slash and as she made her fourth swing, she pooled mana into her free hand. The moment Robin blocked Falchion for the fourth time, Lucina stepped in, pressed her open palm against his chest, and released her mana.

Robin's eyes went wide once again. "Oh shit-!"

The sudden discharge created a small explosion of pure mana in Lucina's hand as Robin was thrown back. Lucina heard a collective gasp from Cynthia, Owain, and Inigo and a small huff from Severa. The four of them from before were unable to touch Robin together, and Lucina singlehandedly managed to land a blow.

Breathing heavily, Lucina lowered her tired arms. Her spar with Robin hadn't taken longer than a minute but the strain of her constant attacks as she pushed herself exhausted her more than she expected. Casting a strong magic without a tome also greatly sapped her of her strength. How Robin and Reina managed to constantly cast magic on grand scales without tomes, she wouldn't know. It took everything she had to not collapse as she watched Robin fall to the ground on his back.

"Pfft…"

Lucina looked up at Robin. A smile formed on his face as he burst into laughter.

"Wow!" Robin jumped to his feet, seemingly unharmed. "That was really impressive! First the overhead leap to throw me off guard and then a magic attack at point-blank? I didn't know you could cast magic!"

Lucina's cheeks heated up at the sudden praise. "I only did what you and Reina do so often; using both magic and swords while fighting. What I did just now is the extent of my magic capabilities."

"That's still really good. And you four?" Robin turned to Inigo, Cynthia, Owain, and Severa. "Your teamwork and coordination is off the charts! Though you're a little too predictable. Using your opponent's blindside is a good move, but know that an experienced fighter will definitely be expecting it. You're no longer fighting the mindless Risen; you'll be fighting people, most of which are highly trained and possibly even veteran soldiers. They'll see it coming. But, besides that, creating a plan on the spot with nothing more than eye movements is quite the feat."

Severa and Inigo shied away from Robin's praise while Owain puffed out his chest in pride.

"But, one word of advice, mainly for you, Cynthia," Robin continued. "Use your weapon's traits to your advantage. Spears, lances, and javelins all have superior range against swords, so don't be afraid to step in to aid your friends. Throwing your javelin was good, don't get me wrong, but then you faltered the moment I threw it back. Had you joined the others and kept me at bay with your spear while the other three surrounded me, I would've lost."

Cynthia nodded as she took Robin's words to heart.

"As for you three with swords, don't forget that you have a lot more freedom when wielding a sword." Robin turned to the three sword wielders. "Don't be afraid to throw out a kick, punch, or even a headbutt during a fight. Your sword isn't your only weapon, so don't forget that. Use your imagination. Be creative."

"Got it," Inigo said.

"Now, you've all earned some rest, so go wash up and get something to eat."

The three nodded at Robin's advice. They then started to leave when Robin called out once more.

"Owain, Severa, a word?"

The two stopped as they looked back at Robin. Motioning for Inigo and Cynthia to continue on, he moved closer to the two he called for and lowered his voice to just a notch above a whisper.

"Owain, your parents are Lissa and Henry, right?" Robin asked.

"Indeed, the two you mentioned are indeed my parents!" Owain exclaimed. "Their noble blood flows through my very -"

"Okay okay." Robin cut him off. "And Severa, I take it that you too can use magic?"

"Just a little," Severa answered bashfully.

"Don't be so modest," Lucina said, walking up the the three. "Severa is much more adept at magic than I, while Owain definitely takes after his parents in terms of magic."

Robin nodded. "Alright then. During our journey to Valm and back, I'll be teaching you magic to increase your magic capabilities while also working on each of your individual fighting styles."

"Wait...you mean-?" Owain gasped.

"Yup. As promised, you five can come along with me to the Garden of Giants," Robin said with a smile. "I did say that if you either proved to me that you're capable of fighting against stronger opponents or if you could land a hit on me, you'd be able to come, didn't I? You all passed with flying colors."

"Hiiiiiiii~" Owain let out a sound very close to a squeal. "I'm so excited!"

"Hmph, I guess I'll go with you if you want me to," Severa huffed as she looked away. "And…th-thanks…" she muttered under her breath.

"Hm? Sorry, I didn't catch that last part," Robin tilted his head quizzically.

"I-it was nothing!" Severa snapped.

Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed off while Owain ran off to find Inigo and Cynthia, no doubt to tell them of the news.

"That's quite the family you have," Robin mused. "There must never be a single dull moment with them."

"Were they any different in your world?" Lucina asked.

"Mm…" Robin thought back to his world. "I honestly can't say. I never did interact with anyone much since I was always in the castle's study. The only times when I'd see anyone would be if they'd visit, or if a certain blue-haired princess would run away from her studies to come play."

Lucina's cheeks turned red as she turned away, causing Robin to let out a laugh.

"You should get some rest," Robin suggested. "We'll be leaving tomorrow at dawn."

"What about you?" Lucina asked.

"I still have a couple things to take care of," Robin said. "Telling your father that I'll be traveling with five other companions being one of them."

"Very well." Lucina nodded. "Take care, Robin."

"Mm, see you tomorrow," Robin said with a single wave of his hand.

He watched her back as she walked across the training grounds and until she turned the corner. Once she was out of sight, he practically collapsed onto the ground.

"Fuaahh, that was exhausting!" Robin let out. "Their future must've been hell for them to possess such skill. Guess that's just another reason to prevent their future from happening here…though I guess it's my fault that their future happened."

Groaning, Robin rose to his feet as he dusted himself off. He'd have to get up early tomorrow, which was something he was never good at. Loving sleep was a very bad trait as the tactician of an army, and was something that he never was able to fix. He walked made his way across the training grounds in search of Chrom and Cordelia. Robin didn't think it'd be too difficult. Ever since the two got engaged, they didn't leave each other's side, so where one was, he'd be able to find the other.

It took a long time. Far longer than Robin expected for him to find the reigning figure of Ylisse. Robin searched the throne room, the mess hall, the castle study, knocked on both Chrom's and Cordelia's doors, and asked almost everyone he met on the whereabouts of the Exalt and Queen. Every single person he asked gave him a different answer which didn't help him out in the slightest. When he did find them, the sun was starting to set and the royal couple were found frolicking in the castle's courtyard.

"Ahem!" Robin loudly cleared his throat.

Chrom and Cordelia both visibly stiffened as they turned their heads to look at Robin. Then the two smiled upon realizing that it was him.

"Robin, perfect timing!" Chrom grinned. "We were just talking about you."

"If it's about that wooden training dummy that spontaneously combusted, it wasn't me," Robin suddenly said.

"Huh?!"

"What?" Robin quickly retorted.

"No, what was that about a dummy - "

"Nothing," Robin finished as he scratched the back of his head. "Nothing happened at all."

Chrom narrowed his eyes, obviously not believing that 'nothing happened at all', but he put it aside for now. "What Cordelia and I were talking about before you came by was just about how much things have changed since I found you," Chrom said, his eyes softening. "The war with Gangrel and this peace is thanks to your efforts."

"You give me far too much credit," Robin said.

"Am I though?" Chrom asked. "Before I met you, the Shepherds was a small group of my friends that joined up to help out nearby villages from bandits and wild animals. Remember that bandit attack back in Southtown? That's when I decided that I'd make you a Shepherd and our tactician. And since then, you've saved both my life and the Shepherds' countless times."

Robin shrugged. "I'm just doing the job that was assigned to me."

"You sell yourself short," Cordelia said. "I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that we've gotten to where we are now thanks to both you and Reina."

"She's right, you know," Chrom agreed with his wife. "I can't thank you enough."

"You sound as though you're going to fire me from my position," Robin chuckled.

"You _are_ leaving for Valm tomorrow, are you not?" Chrom pointed out. "I thought it'd be fitting to tell you before you left on your little vacation."

"I'll only be gone for a few months," Robin reasoned. "Speaking of Valm, that's why I was searching for you two."

"Hm?"

"You know how _you_ -" Robin looked at Cordelia, "- sent Marth and her friends in an attempt to make me not go alone?"

"Yes? I remember you said that you were first going to test them," Cordelia recalled. "What did you have them do?"

"It was nothing more than a simple evaluation of how they'd fare against stronger opponents. In my world, the group that was staying at the Garden of Giants were seasoned fighters. The only reason why I got a pass there was because I was there to research the ruins and I just barely managed to get a draw in a duel with their leader."

"And you're going there again?" Chrom asked. "With five others?"

Robin shrugged. "This is why I wanted to go alone. Six armed fighters entering their island won't be taken lightly, but if was just a single person, I'd be able to get in and out without much trouble."

"And you're taking Marth and her friends…why?" Chrom questioned.

"I thought you wanted me to take them along?" Robin tilted his head. "Besides, a promise is a promise. I gave them a test, they passed, and now they can come along." He turned around to leave. "I'll be leaving tomorrow at first light from the north gate."

"Alright," Chrom nodded. "We'll be sure to see you off."

Nodding, Robin turned around while waving over his shoulder. "Night, you two."

* * *

"The more I watch, the more I'm dreading my turn…" Inigo muttered.

Robin and his party were four weeks into their journey. They've been at sea for almost a month now after Robin found a merchant ship that was willing to give them a ride to Valm. Inigo hated the boat at first; it was nothing like the flying ship he was given a ride on from before. The flying ship would cruise through the sky and water with ease, but the merchant's ship would constantly rock back and forth along the waves. The queasiness in his stomach refused to go away for the first two weeks, and on the third, he had finally gotten used to it. But now, he was sick of seeing only the ocean surrounding him. He leaned back against the ship's railing as he let out a tired sigh.

"Lord Robin is indeed worthy to be a Hero of Legend! The stars above must have been truly aligned and been at their peak on the day of his birth to grant him such a divine power!" To his right, Owain struck a dramatic pose. Putting his right hand up to his face and extending his left, he peered at Severa and Robin's spar on the middle of boat through the cracks between his fingers.

"Yeah!" Cynthia agreed. "He's strong, an expert in magic, knows tactics, and he's kind! He has all the makings of a hero!"

"I loathe to admit it, but he's also not that bad looking of a guy," Iniqo quietly sighed.

Silence fell upon the three as they watched the spar in front of them. Severa's jaw was tightly clenched as she swung her sword at Robin time and time again. She had spent the better half of the trip working on her magic, and her regular spars with Robin was the perfect way to put her practice to the test. Just before her sword made contact with Robin, a dim glow seemed to run down the length of Severa's blade before it was deftly parried by Robin's sword. Jumping back, she created a small distance between her and Robin as she raised her guard. She found out that her attempt to guard was futile as Robin break through it in an instant and knocked her to the ground with a gust of wind.

"You almost got it," Robin said, offering her a hand up. "Just a little more practicing and you'll be able to properly ignite your weapon with your magic at the moment of contact."

"One more round!" Severa huffed. Her breathing was erratic and sweat was profusely running down her face. "I can do it!"

Robin stared at her for a brief moment. His eyes moved up and down her person. Normally, Severa would've felt creeped out if a man stared at her, and she did at first, but she quickly realized that Robin wasn't exactly looking at _her_. Instead, he'd be looking at her form, her posture, anything and everything that would tell him how much further she could push her body for, even down to her mana circuits. "Alright, just one more round. No more after that," he finally said.

Nodding, Severa raised her sword. Her entire body was aching from exhaustion and it showed as her she tightly clenched her fingers around her sword hilt in an attempt to stop the trembling. With a shout, she charged at Robin. Severa knew that she was already pushing her body past its limits. Robin definitely knew this and he'd normally call off their practice. But he faltered under her fiery gaze, much to her gratitude. Not that she'd ever tell him.

Knowing that she'd have to keep this last round short in order to not tear her muscles any more, she made six swift attacks. Three at Robin's torso, a sweeping kick at his legs, a spinning kick at his chest, and on the final swing down on his shoulder, Severa made another attempt on what she's been practicing for so long. Mana flowed her bosom through her shoulder, down her arm, through her hand and into her sword. The flow of mana felt as if her blood had heated up during that moment, sending a sense of warmth through her right arm.

The moment Severa's blade made contact with Robin's, a bright flash appeared between them. A small explosion erupted from the point of contact, blooming outwards from her and engulfing the tactician in a bright fire. The force of the explosion rattled her entire body as Robin was thrown backwards into the ship's railing. Severa stared down at her sword in awe.

"I-I did it!"

She heard the surprised gasps from her friends but she didn't care about that. All she cared about was that she finally managed to successfully perform her unique attack after a near month of constant training. A satisfied smile formed on her face.

"I DID IT!" Severa shouted. Then all she felt was lightheadedness as she started to fall over. She expected to feel the pain of her falling onto the floor but it never came. Instead, she felt a pair of arms catch her before she fell.

"That's right," Robin softly said. "You did it. You should be proud of yourself."

"L-let go of me!" Severa hissed, pushing Robin away. "And you don't need to tell me!"

Instead of getting annoyed at Severa's harsh attitude, Robin simply smiled as he looked over Severa's shoulder.

"Cynthia, can you help Severa to her room?" Robin asked.

"I'm fine! I don't need - " Severa tried to voice her thoughts but felt lightheaded again.

"Cynthia." Robin called once again.

"R-right!" Cynthia quickly ran over to Severa. "Are you alright, Severa?"

"I said I'm fine!" Severa snapped.

The door leading towards the interior of the ship opened up as Lucina ran out.

"I heard an explosion and the entire ship shook!" Lucina's eyes darted around. Her face paled when she saw her sister. "Severa! What happened!"

"Mana exhaustion, magic over-exertion, straining of muscles, pushing her body way past its limit, and a few more things." Robin listed off Severa's symptoms before she even had a chance to speak.

"And you let her continue like this?" Lucina glared at Robin.

"It wasn't Robin's fault!" Cynthia intervened, placing Severa's arm over her shoulder. "Robin was going to stop but - "

"No, it was my fault," Robin cut in. "I should've stopped our practice, but didn't. I'm sorry."

"B-but!" Cynthia tried to defend Robin when he put his hand up.

"Cynthia, Severa needs rest." Robin said flatly.

Though he didn't say it, Robin's implication was clear. If they spoke any more on this matter with Severa being in earshot, it'd hurt her pride. It would have already were it not for Severa already having passed out on Cynthia's shoulder. Even with her being unconscious, Robin put what she would think before he took an action.

Nodding, Cynthia started to walk away with Severa slumped over her shoulder when Owain walked over to help her. Helping Cynthia with the unconscious Severa, the two made their way inside the ship's cabin. Once the cabin's closed, Lucina spoke again, her eyes unmoving from the door.

"Severa pushed you into another round, didn't she." It wasn't a question.

"…Yeah…" Robin sighed. "She was so focused on wanting to perfect her move that I didn't have the heart to turn her down."

Lucina stayed silent for what seemed like an eternity. She then briskly walked into the cabin, closing the door behind her.

"Sooo…" Inigo gingerly glanced at Robin. "Do I still have to spar with your or…"

"Oho yeah." Robin gave Inigo a cruel smile as he gracefully spun his sword in his hand. "You're not going anywhere."

A cold sweat ran down Inigo's face as he reluctantly drew his sword. They had at least another day or two of sailing until they reached Valm and Inigo was not looking forward the remainder of the time left on the boat.

* * *

"I swear this is like a terrible nightmare."

"We know, Gaius. It's only the twenty-sixth time you've said it."

"That's cause it's true!"

"Be silent! Panne's returning."

Gaius, Reina, and Lon'qu were hiding in a dark alleyway. Reina thought that their beast hunt would be a simple matter of…well…a beast hunt. What they found was that the so-called village that they were supposed to be helping was not a town at all. Sure, when viewed from the outside, it looked to be a small village. But the moment Reina and her group walked through the gates at the beckoning of one of its inhabitants, the scene changed. As if the village was nothing but an illusion, the entire landscape shifted and towering building rose into the sky. It wasn't a village at all. It was a grand city.

Each building was intricate and held a gothic look to it, almost like a forgotten city from the Victorian era. The moon had a faint red glow to it as it hung low in the sky, casting a eerie and ominous light over the city. Oddly enough, the sun never rose. The moon was always visible with the dark red sky as the background. The streets were abandoned of residents, and the only living things that Reina's group came across were crazed people, once hunters, that yelled things about beasts and the hunt. They all held crude weapons: cleavers, dull shortswords, and even torches. Some of them even blamed Reina's group for what was happening, which Reina only had a small inkling of a guess as to what they were referring to.

Some form of an infection had plagued the city for months on end. The disease was contagious, and the people had yet to find a way to prevent it from spreading. When Reina entered the city, the person that Reina assumed to be the village leader came up to talk to her. He was the one that send word of the request for a beast hunt, only that was nothing more than a pretense. The actual request was to find a certain man, who went by the name of 'Father'. Reina assumed that he was a religious figure, but the village leader said that they only called him that due to his two daughters; a literal paternal status.

From then and until now, through the course of nearly two months, Reina and her group had been searching through the streets of the city. The city was vast, nearly triple the size of Ylisstol, so the search for _Father_ was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Dozens of haystacks, in fact. Nonetheless, a request was a request, so Reina agreed to search for _Father_.

Reina let out a tired sigh from her crouched position. Rubbing her temples, she looked back up to see a shadow step into the moonlight.

"Panne." Reina greeted the taguel. "How was your search?"

Panne shook her head. "The pungent smell of blood makes it impossible for me to sniff out anything in this accursed place."

Reina sighed again before a yawn escaped from her lips. Rubbing her eyes, she started to stand back up when Gaius placed a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back down.

"Easy there, Snowflake," Gaius said. "Get some rest. You've been pushing yourself a lot more for over a month. We'll sleep in shifts, so don't worry about getting sneaked up on."

Reina frowned. She didn't like the idea of falling asleep in the middle of a labyrinth-like city where insane men were strolling about with crude weapons. Seeing the unrelenting gaze from her friends, she sighed as she gave up any notion of staying awake.

 _ **You really have been pushing yourself too hard as far late.**_

 _Have I really?_

 _ **Yuppers. It's been 21 hours and 48 minutes since you last slept, which, need I remind you, was only for a few hours.**_

 _It's been that long already? It sure as hell didn't feel like it._

 _ **Trust me, I've been keeping track. Now get some rest. We have Panne's ears, Gaius practically has night-vision, and Lon'qu has been catching up to you in swordplay at a terrifying rate. Nothing's going to happen as you rest.**_

Laying down and using her arm as a makeshift pillow, Reina snapped her fingers. A ripple of energy expanded around her and her group before dispersing. She saw Lon'qu raise an eyebrow at her, asking her the silent question of what she just did.

"Minimal illusory magic," Reina explained. "As long as they don't focus on our position, any passerby won't be able to see us."

Lon'qu nodded, satisfied at the answer before leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes. Following the swordsman, Reina closed her eyes as well. She thought she'd never be able to sleep in such an unknown area, but her consciousness faded almost immediately.

* * *

Lucina yawned. Her group landed on the shore of the Garden of Giants yesterday and set up camp the previous night. Dawn had broken a few minutes ago, the sun casting its rays of light over the land as Lucina walked to the beach. No matter how many times Lucina saw it, seeing the sun rise over the horizon took her breath away. She stood still, simply staring at the morning sun.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" A calming voice said from behind her.

Turning around, Lucina saw Robin walking up behind her, his eyes also fixated on the horizon.

"Robin," Lucina greeted the tactician. Looking back over at the sunrise, she spoke again. "Seeing the sunrise always fills me with hope. In my world, it was forever dark. Grima's magic was so powerful that it took a near physical form. The entire sky was blanketed with a sheet of black magic which blotted out the sun. Only at night would the magic go away, but ever so slightly."

Lucina continued to watch the sun as it slowly rose higher into the sky. She felt Robin place his hand on her shoulder.

"We'll change the future, Lucina," Robin said reassuringly. "I'll do anything and everything within my power to make sure your future doesn't happen."

Lucina let out a wistful sigh. "Thank you, Robin."

"Shall we head back? Cynthia and Severa are preparing breakfast."

Lucina's stomach rumbled when Robin mentioned food, but she shook her head. "I'll be joining you momentarily," Lucina said over her shoulder.

"Alright, but don't stay out here too long," Robin cautioned. "You might catch a cold and your food won't be warm forever."

"I understand."

Lucina heard Robin's footsteps retreat. After a couple more minutes of staring at the horizon, she too turned to head back to camp. She listened to her own footsteps as she tred upon the soft earth. It was a minute's walk from the beach to camp and it felt far too short. Coming across a clearing, three tents were set up. One for Inigo and Owain, one for the girls, and the third one for Robin. In the center of tents was a small fire with the others seated around it.

"Welcome back." Robin greeted Lucina a small smile. "You're just in time."

As Lucina took a seat next to her sister, Cynthia handed her a bowl of soup. Thanking the pegasus knight, she looked back over at Robin.

"What's the plan for today?" She asked.

"The plan is for us to get into the buried library," Robin said after chewing his food. "How that happens, however, can go one of three ways. The best possible outcome would be for the mercenary group stationed here to just give us a pass to the library. The second would be what happened in my world, where it's a one-on-one duel with their leader. The third and worst possible outcome…"

"…a large fight is started between the six of us and the entire group of mercenaries," Lucina finished.

Robin grimly nodded. "I'd settle for the second, to be honest. But in the chance that the third choice does happen, I need you all to listen exactly to what I say, understand?"

Everyone nodded. Seemingly satisfied, Robin set his bowl down and stood up.

"I'm going to go scout the area quickly," he said. "Thanks for the meal, you two," he added, looking at Severa and Cynthia.

"No problem!" Cynthia chirped, beaming at Robin.

After Robin left, Inigo let out a sigh. "That guy does not seem human."

Lucina raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, for starters, he's a monster at fighting. Casting magic that would normally require an entire mage unit to focus all on his own is scary enough, but once you add in the fact that he doesn't even seem to get tired after casting magic like that is even all the more terrifying," Inigo said. "And then he went on to train each one of us individually back-to-back, all in one day, over the course of a month. I don't mean to brag, but I'd say we're all pretty good fighters, but the only ones that were able to touch him were you two." He looked over at Lucina and Severa. "And to top it all off, whenever he's not training us, he's drowned in papers and books. It's like he has an infinite amount of stamina."

"I assure you that he is human," Lucina calmly said. "It's just that he puts everyone else's well being as his top priority while disregarding his own, even to the point where he nearly died."

"Wait, we're taking about the same Robin, right?" Severa asked. "The one that was here just a minute ago?"

Lucina nodded.

"The one that nearly wiped out an army of ten thousand Plegians with the aid of only one other?"

Lucina nodded again.

"That's…" Cynthia's brow furrowed. "But how? I didn't think anyone would be able to even hurt him."

"It happened back when Exalt Emmeryn sacrificed herself," Lucina grimly recalled. "It was difficult for me to make out the details since I was positioned so far away, but as Exalt Emmeryn was falling, Robin jumped through the air to save her even though he was more than forty meters away. It was then he was struck by multiple arrows from a Risen archer and hit by Gangrel's lightning twice. Despite being so wounded, he kept trying to save the Exalt, which resulted in him receiving grave injuries that rendered him unconscious for a week."

"Wooow. To put his own life on the line for the sake of others…" Cynthia dreamily stared into the fire.

Having a near opposite reaction as Cynthia, Severa crossed her arms as she narrowed her eyes. Noticing her sister's troubled expression, Lucina leaned forward.

"Is something the matter?" Lucina asked.

"I was just thinking of how things may have been in Robin's world," Severa answered. "With Robin being as powerful as he is, I don't understand how Dad could've died in his world. I know Validar was powerful, but Robin seems to outclassed him in every way."

Lucina frowned. She had a similar thought back on the night of her aunt Emmeryn's assassination. She remembered Robin say that Validar was the reason for her father's death, but her mother said that Father was betrayed by his closest friend. And seeing how close her father and Robin were in this world, that could only mean… Lucina shook her head. There was no way that could be true.

"I know what you're thinking, Severa," Lucina finally said. "But all we know is that Father was betrayed by his closest friend in our world. There's no proof that the same could've happened in Robin's. For all we know, Validar may have been much more powerful in Robin's time, which could also explain as how what made him the kind of fighter he is now."

Severa frowned. Her suspicion of Robin was still there, but she chose to let it go for now. She opened her mouth to speak again when Robin suddenly materialized in front of them, seemingly out of breath.

"Sorry for popping in like this, but…" Robin had a very curious look on his face. As if he was guilty of something. "I may or may not have accidentally possibly angered the entire group of mercenaries."

The Future-Children shot to their feet.

"What?!" "What the hell did you do?!"

Robin winced as the sudden raise in their voices hurt his ears.

"I uhh…I think I messed up on my first teleport back here, which caused me to teleport on top of one of their cooking stoves, spilling a lot for food," Robin meekly explained, scratching the back of his head. "Since they seemed to be pretty angry about their breakfast being ruined, I panicked and may have accidentally lit one of their tents on fire as I teleported away. The entire company should be just over that hill." He pointed at the direction he left for a few minutes ago.

Sure enough, Lucina could hear the sound of thundering footsteps of a large group of armed fighters. She watched as the mercenary group walked over the hill Robin pointed at, each one armed to the teeth. At the front of the group was a man with long, dark blue colored hair, even darker than hers. Only his was much more unruly as hers was straightened. In his hand was a large, golden, two-handed sword that looked very familiar. Doing a quick head count, Lucina found that the mercenary group numbered 50. 50 highly trained soldiers against 5 children from the future and a scatterbrained tactician.

Stopping at the base of the hill and roughly 20 meters away from camp, the mercenary group came to a halt. Taking a couple steps forward, their leader impaled his sword into the ground.

"My name is Priam, descendant of the Radiant Hero!"

Priam's voice shook Lucina's eardrums as he yelled. Up close, Lucina was able to make out his features. He had a chiseled face, was dressed in white and blue plate armor with a cloth wrapped around his neck and chest. A dark green headband was adorned around his forehead, and he gave off such a pressure that caused cold sweat to roll down Lucina's back.

Priam's eyes moved from Owain, Inigo, Cynthia, Severa, and then her. The others tensed up as Priam's eyes moved over them, and when Priam's eyes landed on her, it took every ounce of her willpower to keep her gaze locked on his. Maybe it was her imagination, but Priam's eyes seemed soften just a fraction before moving onto Robin.

The instant Priam laid his eyes on the tactician, his eyes flared with the intensity of a thousand suns. The pressure that he was already exuding suddenly intensified, causing Lucina's legs to tremble. Inigo and Severa took a wary step back, a small sound escaped from Cynthia's throat, and Owain paled.

"You!" Priam took Ragnell out of the ground and pointed it at Robin. His sword was nearly twice the size of Lucina's Falchion and most likely weighed a ton, but Priam swung it as it if was a feather. "Do you've any idea how much I've been looking forward to the bear meat stew that you ruined?!"

Robin let out a strangled noise as he hid behind Lucina. "I said I was sorry, didn't I?" Robin yelled from Lucina's back.

"No words of apology will get you away from this!" Priam roared. "Now draw your sword and fight me!"

"I'd rather not?" Robin meekly said.

Lucina looked over her shoulder at a cowering Robin.

"Didn't you beat him before in your world?" Lucina whispered.

Robin frantically shook his head. "Priam was never here in my world! He actually led his merry band against Walhart and defeated him! I've never fought the man!"

"Just fight him!" Severa hissed.

"You fight him!" Robin childishly retorted.

"Come forward!" Priam's voice shook the air.

Sighing, Lucina mustered her strength and walked forward.

"Luce?" "Lucina?"

She heard her friends can her name, but she paid them no mind as she kept walking forward. Stopping a few steps away from Priam, Lucina locked eyes with him. Priam raised an eyebrow.

"You are not the one I called for," Priam growled.

Lucina gulped. "I am aware that you wish to fight Robin. But I have a request of you."

"If it is to let that man go, then know that I will not change my answer," Priam said, crossing his arms.

"That is not my request," Lucina replied.

"Oh? Then what is your request?" Priam asked, amused.

Lucina took a deep breath. "I wish for you to have a duel with me."

A shocked silence fell down on the plains. Lucina heard Robin facepalm and the gasps coming from both her friends and Priam's band alike. Priam's face didn't change as he continued to stare at Lucina through a pair of intense eyes. Then the corner of his mouth twitched before he threw his head back in laughter.

"I like you!" Priam roared. "What is your name?"

"My name is Lucina, descendent of the Hero-King," Lucina said, straightening her shoulders.

"The Hero-King?" Priam mused. "Very well, Lucina. I accept your duel."

"Thank you, Sir Priam." Lucina lowered her head in a small bow.

"You should thank you own guts," Priam smiled. "That's the only reason why I've decided to duel you. Now, draw."

Retreating back a few steps, Lucina drew Falchion. Taking her stance, Lucina took in a deep breath to calm her nerves as she closed her eyes. Gathering herself, Lucina opened them. A fierce will shone from Lucina's eyes and with a mighty yell, she and Priam moved at the same time. A blade of legend met another blade of legend as two descendants of legendary heroes clashed.

* * *

 **Side-story that's not exactly relevant to the actual in-game storyline time!**

 **Honestly, I could've just gone with the two year time skip, but that I feel as though that'd be such a wasted opportunity to go a little more in-depth with the characters and possibly some character developers. That and because there's some new...items that I plan on some of the characters getting in these two years in Ylisse. A select few of you may have figured it out from the Marc's weapon and the place that Reina's group is in, but what I just said is already a huge, HUGE hint.**

 **There's nothing much else to say in this A.N, so that'll be it for now.**

* * *

 **Review/Comment Replying part of:**

 **\- HelloPotato: I can't blame you. The GS series came out...I think 15 years ago? I only remembered a lot of it cause I've done so, so many playthroughs of that game that I've pretty much memorized the game in its entirety. And yeah, I think I can count the number of Chrom/Cordelia fanfics out there on my fingers.**

 **\- FFG-559 August: M!Robin x F!Robin? I think you'd get along quite well with shadowofchaos725 (youtube). He's also a big M!Robin X F!Robin guy. :)**

 **\- Antex & CallenAmakuni: Thanks for the kind words. And the voices in Robin and Reina's head / Alternis and Reflet? I'm afraid that I cannot say anything on their identities. Not yet, at least. A time as to how long until who/what they are is revealed...I'd say after Valm, which is a loong ways from now.**

* * *

 **That's all for now! I'll see you in the next! Also, for those who don't know, my second story that I talked of a while ago is up! :) Go take a gander if you wish to see Robin in a new world.**

* * *

 **Unrelated to FE:AA at all, but...Nier Automata, Dark Souls III: The Ringed City DLC, and Destiny's Age of Triumph update, plus writing two stories at once? My sleep schedule is already off the rocker, but those three games added in will just end me. If I never upload again, know that I died from either starvation, lack of sleep, or gaming for days and days on end without rest. Cya!**


	19. (?) A Peeking of Sneaks

"Robin!" Chrom yelled.

"Whaaaaat?!" Robin yelled back.

Lifting his head off of his desk, Robin peered over a mountain of paper to see his friend walk into the room. His face paled when said friend was carrying another pile of papers. Behind him was Lucina, Cordelia, and Reina, each one also holding a stack of papers.

"No!" Robin cried out. "No no no no no! Enough!"

Despite his protests, the ones that he called "friends" mercilessly dropped the papers onto Robin's desk. A vein appeared on Robin's forehead as he looked down at his desk in disdain.

"Why did I get stuck with this job!" Robin whined.

Reina shrugged. "Cause you're Robin."

Robin sobbed into his hands. "That's not an answer."

"Relax, buddy," Chrom chuckled. "It can't be that bad."

Robin glared at Chrom through his fingers. "Would you like to take my place?"

"Uhh…" Chrom took an uneasy step back.

"Pages upon pages of script…chapter on chapter…ideas to put together…do you have any inkling on how tedious this is?!"

Lucina and Cordelia took this chance to sneak away while Chrom and Reina were the focus of Robin's rage.

"Not only that, Number keeps adding other ideas that aren't even in the original script! Most of them don't have anything to do with the story at all!" Robin's tantrum continued. "All Number does is come to me, plops a sheet of paper with some scribbles on it, and walks away. And do you know what's written on the paper that was given to me?"

Chrom and Reina both shook their head at Robin's supposed rhetorical question.

"It's always the same thing with minor differences. The first line always reads, ' _I got an idea!'_ , followed by the whatever idea that was thought of written down underneath it, and a third line underneath that saying the two words, ' _Good luck!'_ Do you've any idea how long I had to think on how to bring the cast of Bravely Default into Chapter 11? And I couldn't even bring in Tiz! The main, MAIN protagonist of the damn game! And then there was freaking Alternis that I had to weave in very early on, and thank the gods that Number at least gave me an easy solution to THAT problem."

As Robin's rant continued, Reina slowly inched away before silently bolting out of the room, leaving a distraught Chrom behind as the sole receiver of Robin's ire.

"And then Number decides to bring in Golden Sun?" Robin threw his hands into the air. "What in the hell do any of those guys have to do with this?! Oh yeah, ' _Bring_ _Severa's group in time for the Plegian war,'_ Number says. None of the Future Children even participate in the Plegian War! Maybe Lucina, but Awakening doesn't even touch on her story until Chapter 13 or 14 of the game! And then the pairings for the Shepherds?"

"R-Robin? I think you should - "

"Don't interrupt me, Chrom!" Robin angrily pointed a finger at his friend. "I've a lot to say, and I'll be damned if I don't!"

Chrom sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"By far the easiest task that I had to do was put in those little Dark Souls easter-eggs, which weren't so bad. A coiled sword stuck in a pile of ash during the Risen attack back in Chapter 6? Easy! A few more references of 'Hollows' and 'undead'? No problem. But then I'm told to figure out a way to bring in the damned Rakuyo from Bloodborne?! What the shit does that game have to do with anything?! Sure, it's a fancy ass weapon, but the damned person who's going to use it could have been like Gaius! All he has is a dagger, which by the way, isn't even in the game! And he wields two!"

"Robin, I seriously think you should - "

"And then I'm told to put in D&D? More specifically, the 'Bardic Knock Spell'? Sigmund the Red retired more than a few times! He should've retired after he got his ass handed to him from the Level 20 Monk rabbit! I grew grey hairs just from having to figure out a way to put that in the story itself! So that's like what, 4(?)…5(?) other games that Number brought into the this game? How the hell has Number NOT been flagged for copyright?"

"Robin, seriously - you know what? Forget it. I'm just gonna let this happen."

"Then Alternis and Reflet? Seriously? Number could've just kept them out of the story, but nooooo. Alternis and Reflet were put in just to make things that much more difficult for me, right? Forget what's planned for them after Valm; I'm losing sleep over this! Reina doesn't even get much screen time on her own PoV, so finding a way to add in Reflet is a pain in the ass! Also, the damned side-story of me going to the Garden of Giants with the Future Children and Reina's group in Yharnam? Really?"

Robin clutched his head with his hands as he let out a cry of stress loud enough to cause Chrom's ears to ring.

"Another Awakening was originally supposed to be under thirty chapters! One chapter for each one of the in-game chapters with a few added in as a little extra for some paralogues! We just finished the Gangrel Arc and we're nearing 20 chapters! This is going to be like 50 chapters in the end! I only have so much room on my wall to post all this crap on!"

Robin angrily waved his hand over to one of the walls of his room. The entire wall was covered in sheets of paper, each one being a script of Another Awakening. The majority of them had their chapter numbers crossed out in red, rewritten and updated, scribbled out in red again, and then updated again with a later number.

"If Number would just give me a laptop or a PC, then all of this would be much easier to organize!" Robin continued. "I can easily right-click on a chapter, click 'Rename', and done! None of this scribbling out and bobby-pinning papers to the wall." Letting out an exasperated sigh, he looked back at Chrom with bloodshot eyes. "Did I ever tell you how Number would write a script out when handing it to me?"

"Yes, I believe you already - "

"All I get is a single page with bullet points! With no detail!" Robin yelled.

Chrom groaned as he listened to Robin's rant for the hundredth time.

"Bullet points that has a few words in each bullet with less than ten per chapter! Then it's up to me to somehow write everything out and create a lengthy chapter on it! Chapters 18 and 19, and part of 20 of AA don't even have that at all! I was just told by Number, most likely on a whim, to just have Robin go to the Garden and Reina to Yharnam! With no other detail or anything! Nothing! At least Number was gracious enough to write out Morgan and Marc's not-so-subtle introduction in the previous chapter. One thing that was fully written out before being thrown at me. GAAAAAHHHH!"

Chrom winced as Robin's scream pierced his ears once more. Breathing heavily, Robin picked up one of the papers from the newly formed piles at the end of his desk. After glancing at his, Robin's eyes flared.

"MOTHER F - AAAAAGGGHHHH"

Crumpling the paper in his hand, Robin threw the page across the room.

"Are you kidding me? Number wants me to find out a way to kill Walhart with a damned log? From Donnel? I don't give a damn on how the game went on the first playthrough! The seemingly invincible Conqueror Walhart behind defeated by a single farmboy with a stick is stupid! And Yen'fay -"

Chrom quickly put his hand over Robin's mouth.

"Shh! Don't reveal anything that'll spoil the story later on!" Chrom hissed.

Freeing himself, Robin continued his little fit of rage.

"I can reveal all I want! Odds are that even if I do reveal something, Number is going to change it later on anyways! Like Emmeryn!"

As if on cue, Emmeryn entered the room.

"What about me?" Emmeryn softly asked.

"Speak of the devil!" Robin cried out. "It's like this was planned ahead of time! I was told that Emmeryn was going to live in this story, so I excitedly wrote up the scene and another scene with Mustafa aiding the Shepherds, but noooo! Stupid Number decides to kill Emm off along with Phila, which in turn, threw my already written script out the damned window along Caeda! She was supposed to be a character in AA as Phila's daughter from the future! And guess who has to type up an email in the library telling Caeda's actor that her character got cancelled due to the directors stupid spontaneousness? Me!"

Grabbing another paper off a pile, Robin's anger flared once more. "Number, what the hell! Fates? Revelations? We aren't even close to being done with Awakening!"

Emmeryn slowly walked up next to Chrom and pulled him out of the room. Robin's yells were reduced to nothing more than muffled sounds through the closed door.

"Is he angry about Number's story changed and the infinite amount of problems that's getting forced on him?" Emmeryn whispered.

Rubbing his temples, Chrom nodded. "I think this is the fourth time this week that I'm here for this."

Emmeryn smiled. "He's blessed to have a friend like you."

"I didn't exactly ask for this," Chrom muttered. "Robin just dragged me along when he found out that another storytelling of Awakening was being written, and how it won't follow the usual storyline."

"But aren't there a lot out there like that already?" Emmeryn asked.

"That's what I said," Chrom groaned. "But Robin literally jumped at the opportunity when he was told that this FanFic could be written by him."

Emmeryn frowned. "But isn't the director the one that's writing typing everything out on both the phone and laptop?"

"Uh huh. So I don't know that Robin is going on about. He's not actually doing anything."

"So why's Robin acting as such?" Emmeryn asked.

Chrom opened his mouth to answer when a new voice answered Emmeryn instead.

"Because I enjoy messing with Robin," the voice said.

"Ah, Director!" Emmeryn greeted the approaching figure.

"Number," Chrom gave Number a small nod. "But why Robin of all people?"

Number shrugged. "He's the one that decided to play the role of the main character. Duties for said main character includes a bit of harassment simply for my amusement."

"That's a little twisted, isn't it?" Chrom muttered.

"Not gonna lie, it kinda is," Number grinned. "To be fair, half of the Easter eggs that I implemented into the story was thought out ahead of time. For example, the Bardic Knock Spell? My friend is the creator of Sigmund the Red, and he's the one that created the BKS a loooong time ago. It was his personal request for me to put it into my story when he found out that I was writing a FanFic. As for Golden Sun? That was actually an idea that was mostly scrapped. I was going to have the cast from GS and GS:TLA be in the story with the cast of Dark Dawn being a part of the Future Children. But I couldn't find out a way to put them into the story since they use Psynergy, Djinn, and summons. The last two would clash with the world of Fire Emblem in a bad way, so all I kept with the reference to the Lemurian ship and the Psynergy names."

Chrom and Emmeryn nodded.

"Since I still have Robin holed up in that room, I'll go speak with him for a moment," Number said as he walked past Chrom and Emmeryn. "Oh, tell the other cast members, specifically Gregor and Vaike, that they'll be the focus of an upcoming chapter."

"Will do," Chrom said.

A brief moment of silence passed after Number entered the room where Robin was in. The silence was broken by another scream from Robin.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WRITING ALL THIS OUT! WHY COME TO ME WHEN YOU GET HIT BY WRITER'S BLOCK!"

* * *

 **Heyo! This chapter was one that I planned for a couple weeks ago since April was coming up. An April Fool's chapter, very original, I know. But hey, Another Awakening** **is my first fan-fic so I thought,** " _ **Why not?"**_

 **To be completely honest, this chapter with Robin ranting is a peek into my writing. I already wrote out the main story of AA** **in one of my notebooks, but as I'm writing and as time goes on, new ideas come to me out of the blue. Some of the ideas I get I can put into the story as little easter-eggs while others...not so much. Examples would be the one mentioned above as 'Number' already explained. And then whenever I do get afflicted with writer's block, I open up a new document and just start typing. What I type is anything and everything, from the events that occurred during my day to spontaneous ideas that pop into my head. From there, I transition back over to AA** **/ A Myriad of Worlds and continue writing.**

* * *

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this joke chapter and a bit of behind-the-scenes of how I work. See ya!**

* * *

 **P.S. In a honesty, how the hell have I not been flagged for copyright. I'm straight up putting other games into this story...not that I'm complaining...**

 **P.P.S. This story seriously might go over 50 chapters at this rate. The Valm arc is a long one...**


	20. (XIX) To The Hunt II

**~Extra~**

*Robin is seated down on a table with a plate of food in front of him. He looks to be in deep thought with his brows furrowed and his elbows on the table. His hands were folded over his mouth as he silently stared at his food. Enter Chrom and Lucina, taking seats on the other side of Robin.~

Chrom: "Hey."

Lucina: "Morning, Robin."

Robin: "..."

Chrom: "Uhh...Robin? What's wrong?"

Robin: (slowly looks up and looks back and forth between the Chrom and Lucina) "I saw the strangest thing earlier...and it involved you two..."

Chrom: (slightly worried) "Ooookay?"

Robin: (sets hands down) "During the little Spring Festival...the two of you were in bunny suits...with bunny ears and everything."

Chrom: (chokes on his food and violently starts coughing)

Robin: "Is there any reason as to why you'd be wearing a bunny suit?"

Lucina: (face turns red) "I-It was part of our costumes..."

Robin: "Costumes."

*Lucina slowly nods, causing Robin to cover his face with his hands.*

Chrom: "So, know of this...that means you saw us, right?"

Robin: "Unfortunately, yes."

Chrom: "Did I look cute?"

*Robin proceeds to throw his plate of food at Chrom who's gleefully laughing.*

 **~Extra End~**

* * *

Rain was heavily pouring down as a small group consisting of a tactician, a thief, swordsman, and a taguel ran through the streets of the complex city they were in. They were being chased by the monstrosities that inhabited the city. Wolves that were nearly three times larger than their usual size with jet-black fur and elongated limbs were on Reina's heels as their glowing white eyes blazed a trail in the darkness. Behind the wolves were two hulking humanoid creatures. If a man's height and torso was enlarged to twice its usual size and heavily wrapped in bandages with sickly green skin, Reina would have mistaken them as the same monsters that were chasing them. They didn't carry any weapons, but each one of them carried a large brick in their hands. Reina didn't doubt that a single hit would be able to cave in her skull.

At the front of her group, Gaius navigated them through the labyrinth of streets, carefully choosing narrower streets and alleyways to slow down their pursuers. As she continued to run, Reina formed a blue-flamed fire in her hand and tossed it behind her. A bright flash followed by the howls of agony she heard was sufficient to tell her that her fireball worked. Beasts with a lot of fur were quite susceptible to fire, it seemed.

Turning another corner, they came across a large stone bridge that was suspended over a river. At the end of the bridge was another group of enemies with a large boulder propped up at the start of the bridge. Reina quickly found out that the boulder wasn't just a simple boulder as one of the mad hunters set the boulder aflame and sent it rolling down the bridge.

"Get behind me!" Reina yelled, running to the front of the group.

Slamming her hands onto the ground, Reina created an upwards slope made of ice in front of them. The moment the flaming ball of death started rolling up the mini ice slope, Reina fired off a gust of wind just behind the flame boulder, propelling it forward. The wind plus the momentum pushed the boulder over Reina's ice barrier, over Reina's group, back down onto the bridge, and straight into the group of beasts and hulking giants that were chasing them.

Reina couldn't help but wince at the sound of bones shattering and limbs getting distorted as the boulder mercilessly rolled over their pursuers. One of the beasts let out strangled yelp of pain before it was silenced.

Gaius let out a low whistle as he looked at their now-flattened pursuers.. "Good thinking, Snowflake. Also, ew. Those are some nasty remains."

Not wanting to look back at the mangled bodies, Reina forced herself to look forward. The crazed hunter that sent the flaming boulder at Reina's group was now running down the bridge with large serrated blade held high. Behind him was a group of seven other crazed hunters and one of the hulking giants.

"You don't think they're here to congratulate us, do you?" Gaius hopefully said.

"Not a chance," Reina muttered.

Panne sniffed the air intently before looking at the road just past the bridge. "He's near…"

"Who? _Father_?" Reina asked. Throwing her arm forward, Reina caused dozens of spikes made of ice to shoot out of the ground. Three of the hunters were immediately impaled while the giant harmlessly ran through the spikes, creating a clear path for the other hunters.

Panne nodded as she shifted into her taguel form. Gaius and Lon'qu raised their twin daggers and sword respectively as Reina drew her own.

"This is gonna be one long night," Gaius said under his breath.

...

* * *

…

Lucina clenched her jaw as she defended herself against Priam's swift barrage of attacks. Despite having a heavier sword than hers, Priam had no trouble swinging it around with almost the same speed that she was able to swing Falchion. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to completely block any one of Priam's heavy attacks, Lucina would catch his sword at a slight angle to redirect the blade away from her. Whenever Priam would throw out a stronger than usual attack, Lucina would use that to her advantage to send out a counter attack of her own.

The two hero-descendants went back and forth like this for minutes. At first glance, it looked to be as they were evenly matched, but every single one of the spectators knew that Lucina was losing ground. For every counter that Lucina threw out, Priam would have gone through a series of blows. Even with Lucina's skill and speed, she was soon covered in minor cuts and nicks all over her body. Priam, on the other hand, was unscathed as he casually swung his large sword with a single arm.

"I think it's time that we wrap this up," Priam said. With that line, he increased the intensity of his attacks, pushing Lucina back further.

Gritting her teeth, Lucina took in a deep breath as she slowly started to channel mana into her off hand. Backstepping a swing that would've cleaved her head off, Lucina threw a feint at Priam's right side before thrusting her hand up to his open chest. With a yell, Lucina discharged her mana, shooting a focused burst of lightning with enough power to pierce through Priam's armor.

A shocked gasp rippled through Priam's group as her friends let out a cheer. Priam stumbled back a few steps. Looking down at the hole in his armor, he grinned.

"That wasn't half bad," Priam grunted. "Just a little more and you would've hit a lung. Though I guess now it's my turn."

Swinging his sword down straight in front of him, Priam assumed a two-handed stance. A trickle of blue fire flickered on Ragnell's blade before it was engulfed by the same fire. Lucina quickly jumped back to create some distance between her and Priam as he raised Ragnell above his head.

"For the blue flame!" Priam roared, slamming his sword onto the ground.

The earth shook from Ragnell's impact as a wave of blue fire shot out from the tip of the golden blade. The flame cut through the ground at an alarming speed at Lucina, who barely managed to roll out of the way. As she rose to her feet, Lucina looked up to see that Priam was already next to her.

Bringing up Falchion to her chest, she managed to partially block Priam's swing, but the force alone threw her back a good distance. The wind was knocked out of Lucina as she painfully landed on her back. Her arm numb, she slowly rose to a single knee before a shadow appeared in front of her. Priam was in front of her, a blue flame wrapped around Ragnell once more as he brought his sword down once more for the finishing blow. Lucina shut her eyes as she waited for Ragnell's blade but it never came.

"I do believe that's enough as a duel, wouldn't you say?"

Lucina opened her eyes. They quickly widened when she saw Owain and Inigo standing in front of her with their blades crossed to block Priam's sword. Judging from their trembling arms, it was taking everything they had to keep Priam at a standstill as they stared at him with fierce eyes. From just behind her, Robin had one arm placed on Lucina's shoulder, ready to warp out at a moment's notice. His main arm was raised with a barrier spell weaved between Owain and Inigo's blades and in front of Lucina.

"Tch." Priam clicked his tongue as he relieved Owain and Inigo of Ragnell's pressure. "And just when it was getting good, too."

"Well, to be fair -" Robin started to say when Priam cut him off with a fiery glare.

"You don't get to speak, destroyer of food!" Priam growled, raising Ragnell at Robin. "You have yet to receive my wrath for the atrocity you committed!"

Inigo and Owain took this small opportunity to get Lucina on her feet and bring her out of the danger zone that was currently the imminent vicinity between Robin and Priam. The pressure that Priam was now exuding at Robin was nothing like the pressure that was given off during his duel with Lucina. It felt as if the very air itself was humming with electricity.

"Getting a little too worked up over a bit of food, don't you think?" Robin murmured, scratching the back of his head. "Fine then, what would you like as compensation?"

"Your head."

Robin blinked, a little taken aback at Priam's prepared answer.

"Sorry, but I'm kind of attached to my head, so no can do," Robin said, grinning. "Heh, get it? Attached? Cause you know, my head is quite literally attached to my - YEE!"

Robin let out a strangled sound as he tilted his upper body backwards to avoid Ragnell's golden blade from slicing his head off.

"Oh, come on! Can't we just talk this out like civilized people?" Robin pleaded as he deftly avoided Priam's heavy swings.

"No words will relieve you from my ire!" Priam roared.

"What about a bear meat stew?" Robin offered.

Priam faltered.

"Prepared by the finest cooks of Ylisstol's royal castle!" Robin hastily added.

No one moved. Everyone watched with stilled breath as the tension in the air continued to rise. After what seemed like an eternity, Priam spoke. "...fine."

"Oh, thank the gods of the multiple realms," Robin sighed in relief. "Drop by Ylisse before the end of next year and I promise that I'll have the chefs get you the best bear meat stew you've ever had."

Priam narrowed his eyes. "I'll hold you to it."

Turning around, Priam briskly walked back over the hill with his group in tow. Once the last of Priam's men disappeared over the hill, Robin let out another sigh of relief. Stretching his arms to his side, he grinned while turning around, only to be greeted with a fist to his ribs from an angry red haired girl.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Severa scolded him. "You could've gotten Lucy killed!"

"Haugh…that hurts…" Robin groaned as he doubled over from the pain.

"It was supposed to!" Severa snapped, raising her arm for another punch.

"Severa, wait!"

Cynthia ran up and held fast onto the enraged Severa to prevent her from delivering her beating onto Robin. As Severa struggled to break free, Owain also ran up to help Cynthia in Severa's detainment.

"Let go of me!" Severa raged. "Let go!"

Calmly stepping between Robin and Severa, Lucina put her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Severa, it's alright," Lucina coaxed. "It's not Robin's fault."

"Yes, it is!" Severa harshly replied. "It's his fault that the entire group came to us!"

Lucina grimaced. "Well, that part is indeed his fault, but - "

"If he had just fought Priam in the first place, you wouldn't have had to take his place!"

"I didn't take his place," Lucina said. "I merely wished to have a duel with Priam. It was entirely on my own volition."

"You could've died!" Severa shouted. The girl was on the verge of tears. "You almost did!"

"Yes, there was a chance that I could have," Lucina admitted.

"Then why!" Severa cried. "We already lost mom and dad! I can't - " Severa fell to her knees, tears falling down her cheeks. "I c-can't lose y-you too…"

A stunned silence fell on the group. Cynthia and Owain gently released Severa's arms, allowing her to try and wipe her tears away. Kneeling down in front of Severa, Lucina wrapped her arms around her sister. Placing her head on Lucina's chest, she continued to cry.

"I'm sorry," Lucina softly said. "It was selfish of me."

"It w-was," Severa sniffed. "Y-you should be s-sorry."

After a few moments, Lucina spoke over her shoulder. "Robin, don't you have something to say as well?"

She was given no reply.

"Robin?" Lucina turned her head.

"Uhh…I believe Severa's punch rendered Robin unconscious," Inigo mused.

Lucina and Severa both looked to see Robin facedown on the ground. The only thing they heard was the grass swaying in the wind and a guttural noise from Robin's throat.

…

* * *

…

"Just up this staircase?" Reina asked.

Reina and Panne were standing at the base of a large staircase leading up further into the city. The moon was shining overhead, casting a dim glow throughout the area. Behind them, Gaius and Lon'qu walked forward as they flicked their weapons clean of the blood of beasts and men. Panne stood on her toes, sniffing the air. Her nose then twitched as she scrunched up her face.

"Yes," Panne answered. "I'm sure he's there."

"Alrighty then, what are we waiting for?" Gaius chided, twirling his daggers in his hands. "Let's go in, find this _Father_ guy, and bring him back to the village elder."

"I'm afraid it won't be that simple," Reina said. "First off, why would he be in a cemetery? And second, the smell of blood is really thick around here." Reina glanced over at Panne. Taguels had a much keener sense of smell than humans, so if Reina was able to smell the stench of blood, she couldn't imagine what Panne was smelling.

"Alright, then we go in, find this _Father_ guy, beat up anyone that's keeping him captive if _Father_ is being kept captive, and bring him back out," Gaius casually said.

Reina and Panne both sighed.

"Let's go," Lon'qu grunted. The swordsman walked up the stairs with one hand resting at the end of his scabbard. His thumb was placed on the hand guard, ready to unsheathe his blade at a moment's notice.

Following the swordsman, Reina walked up the stairs with her hand grasping the hilt of her sword. Panne and Gaius were close behind as the four reached the top of a staircase. At the top was a stone archway that led into a small cemetery that was walled off on the sides. Hundreds of small tombstones were scattered around the area with another staircase at the far end of the cemetery. Just next to the staircase was an old tree that was devoid of leaves with a man that was hunched over next to it. He was dressed in dark purple robes, a wide brimmed hat, and a silver scarf was wrapped around his neck, with the excess bit hanging down the middle of his back.

With jarring movements, the man slowly raised a bloody axe into the air before swinging it back down. The sound of metal severing flesh could be heard and the blood from whatever it was that the man brought his axe down upon sprayed up into the air, drenching the man's clothes. Wrenching his axe free from the body, the man stiffened up.

"…Beasts all over the shop…" the man muttered as he slowly stood straight. As he turned around, he spoke an ominous line. "…You'll be one of them, sooner or later…"

Reina took a wary step back as the man fully turned around. The man's wild grey hair hung loosely down the sides of his face, stopping just above his shoulders. A woolen bandage was wrapped around the man's eyes, but for some reason, Reina had the feeling that the man was staring directly at them.

"Uhh…Panne? Is-is that…?" Reina whispered.

Panne grimly nodded. "That would be _Father_ , but he seems to have almost lost his humanity."

"Or completely lost it," Gaius grimly added. "I don't think he'll be kind enough to let us just whisk him away. We've seen some of the hunters of this damned place transform into beasts, so if _Father_ here does that…"

"Then we end him," Lon'qu briskly said, finishing the sentence that Gaius didn't want to finish. "The elder will understand if _Father_ transforms. No man retained his sanity after transforming before, so _Father_ won't be any different."

Reina, Panne, and Gaius all stared at Lon'qu.

"What?" Lon'qu warily asked.

"N-nothing," Reina said. "It's just…this is the first time we've heard you speak so much."

"I believe I spoke much more when you attacked me with figs," Lon'qu grumbled as his cheeks flushed.

"That's different - "

Reina cut her sentence off when a chill was sent down everyone's spine. Looking back over as _Father_ , who was slowly walking towards them from across the cemetery, everyone took out their weapons, with a Beaststone in Panne's case. The moment Reina assumed her stance, _Father_ suddenly dashed forward with alarming speed.

With a mighty yell, _Father_ brought down his axe on Lon'qu, who barely managed to bring his sword up in time to block the devastating blow. Now that _Father_ was right in front of them, the pungent smell of blood was thicker than ever, and Reina inadvertently scrunched her nose. The instant _Father_ eased up on the pressure, Lon'qu kicked out under _Father_ 's feet in an attempt to knock him down, but _Father_ jumped back to avoid to kick. Before _Father_ could land, Gaius was behind him, daggers poised to slice at _Father_ 's ankles. Their job at the moment was to detain _Father_ , not kill, so each one of them had to hold back.

Somehow knowing that Gaius was behind him, _Father_ grabbed onto one of the many tombstones next to him. Using a strength that was inhuman, _Father_ pushed off the tombstone with one arm, leaping over the surprised thief. Acting on instinct, Gaius fell prone onto the ground, narrowly avoiding a downwards swing from _Father_ 's axe that would've sliced his head in two. Rolling forward and onto his feet, Gaius stayed low to the ground as he eyed _Father_. Leaping over a hedge of tombstones, _Father_ raised his axe high above his head as he descended on the thief.

"This guy…" Gaius muttered, dodging the heavy blow. "…is ridiculous!"

As he was dodging to the side, Gaius threw out a throwing knife at _Father,_ impaling his shoulder. As _Father_ was staggering back from the knife, Panne leapt forward in her Taguel form, and slammed her foot down on Gaius's knife. Panne's kick sent _Father_ flying backwards and crashing into the tree at the other end of the room.

"Nice one!" Reina grinned, stepping forward. Slamming her hands onto the ground, Reina shot out a trail of ice from her hands and towards _Father_ , who was leaning back against the base of the tree. When Reina's ice trail neared _Father_ , the ice slowly started to rise and wrap around his body like a cocoon. After a few seconds, Reina was proudly staring at her new ice sculpture.

"Oi, Snowflake…won't that ice kill him?" Gaius pointed out.

Reina blinked. "Oh, right…he can't really breathe like that, can he?" Raising her arm, Reina extended her index finger, pointed her thumb upwards, and folded her remaining fingers as she playfully took aim at the frozen _Father_. "Bang!"

A small fireball was fired from the tip of Reina's finger. The fire bullet hit the ice surrounding _Father's_ face, causing the ice to melt within seconds.

 _ **Nice shot.**_

 _Thanks. I try._

Walking up to the ice-encased _Father,_ Gaius crossed his arms as a small smile formed on his face. Raising an arm, he rapped on the ice, causing a dull tapping sound to echo throughout the cemetery.

"Welp, I guess you could say that he's…" Gaius turned his head around with a sly grin. "…out _cold_!"

Different reactions came from the other three. Reina facepalmed, Panne rolled her eyes, while Lon'qu merely closed his in a grimace.

"What?" Gaius chuckled. "I thought that was pretty _cool_."

"Gaius." Reina's stern voice rang out as she emphasised each syllable in his name. "Stop."

Gaius threw his hands up in a mock surrender. "Alright, alright, I'll _chill_ out for a bit."

"GAIUS!"

Gaius started to laugh when he and Panne both tensed up. Quickly wheeling around, Gaius backpedaled to the rest of the group, his eyes narrowed on _Father._ Before Reina could ask what was wrong, the ice encasing _Father_ shattered with a deafening *CRACK*. Stumbling forward, _Father_ slowly righted himself as he stood tall. His axe was still gripped tightly in his main hand, but in his off hand was a elongated wooden cylinder like object, rimmed with metal. Grey smoke could be seen rising from the end of the cylinder as _Father_ slowly raised it to aim it at them again.

"SCATTER!" Panne yelled, leaping to the right.

Gaius also leapt to the right, ducking behind a large tombstone, but Reina's reaction was delayed by a second as she tried to comprehend what the object was in _Father's_ hand. Time slowed down to a snail's pace as the cylinder in _Father's_ hand flashed once more as she was forcefully shoved to the side. Reina's head turned to see the stoic Lon'qu push her with very uncharacteristic and frantic look on his face. Her eyes widened in horror as a shower of tiny silver pellets hit the swordsman square in the chest, causing blood to erupt from each point of impact. The pellets had hit Lon'qu with enough force to violently send him tumbling through the air and crashing onto the ground.

"Umbasa."

The peaceful word that came out of _Father's_ mouth was anything but.

…

* * *

…

Robin slowly opened his eyes. A sharp pain ran through his chest as he inhaled, causing him to cough in agony.

"Ow…" he groaned.

Carefully pushing his body into a sitting position, he looked around. It didn't take long to realize that he was in his tent. Light was pouring in through the openings of his tent as they softly fluttered in the wind. There wasn't much in his tent as it was a one of the smallest ones that he owned, fit only for a single person. The only things in his tent was his bedroll, a knapsack in the corner, his sword propped up against the knapsack, his trademark coat neatly folded next to his sword, and him, sitting upright on his bedroll. He felt his ribs, wincing as pain spiked up his torso again. Lifting his shirt, he inspected his chest to see a large red welt on his chest with small bits of dried blood, no doubt from a punch from Severa while she still had her steel gauntlet equipped.

Sighing, he slowly stood to his feet and walked over to his knapsack. Opening the top, he pulled out a vulnerary and a small cloth. Taking off his shirt, he poured the balm onto the cloth before applying the now vulnerary-soaked cloth onto his injury. Gently removing the dried blood and dirt from his skin, he flipped the cloth over to a cleaner side before pressing it onto the open skin. Robin inadvertently clenched his jaw; it felt as if hundreds of ants were crawling into the wound as the vulnerary forcefully mended his fractured ribs and torn skin.

"Should've asked Lissa for a roll of her healing bandages," Robin muttered to himself.

"Robin?" A gentle voice said from outside his tent. "Are you awake?"

"Fear not, dear cousin," a loud voice exclaimed. "For my noble ears have heard the rousing of our master tactician and his mighty voice from within his humble quarters!"

"Yeah!" A cheerful voice piped up. "Severa hits hard, but even her punch can't put Robin out for THAT long!"

 _Uh oh…_

"W-wait!" Robin turned to warn them not to enter when his tent flaps were pushed aside and Lucina, Cynthia and Owain walked in.

"Oh good, you're awake - " Lucina started before it dawned on her that Robin was shirtless.

It was quite possible that it was merely his imagination, but he could've sworn that he saw steam rise from Cynthia's face as her face turned red with an audible *poof*. Owain, on the other hand, widened his eyes as his jaw hit the floor, and Lucina donned a masterful poker face. Her eyes moved from Robin's shirtless body, to his face, and then back down to his body. Her eyes slightly widened as she noticed the cloth that Robin was holding up to his ribs.

"Ha wah wah wah wah!" A string of strange noises escaped Cynthia's throat as her eyes were glued to Robin's body. Her eyes were quickly covered by Lucina's hand before the princess spoke.

"We're ready to set out on your word," Lucina shortly said. Grabbing Cynthia's arm, she briskly walked out of the tent while practically dragging a flushed Cynthia. "Owain, let's go."

"R-right!" Owain stammered, giving Robin one last glance before hurriedly leaving the tent.

Sighing once more, Robin put his vulnerary back into his knapsack as he pulled out a roll of regular bandages. Wrapping a thin layer of the gauze bandages around his torso, he pulled his shirt over his head, put on his cloak, rolled up his bedroll, tied it to his knapsack before he grabbing both it and his sword and stepped out of his tent. Setting down his belongings, he started to take his tent down when he heard someone walk up behind him.

"Hello, Severa," Robin as he continued to work on dismantling his tent.

"How'd you know it was me?" Severa asked.

Robin shrugged. "Everyone here has their own distinct way of walking, and with it, their own distinct footsteps. For example, Cynthia is very light on her feet, which I'm assuming is because she spent a lot of time on her pegasus and because she's doing her best not to trip over her own feet. Inigo also walks lightly, but he has a more rhythmic feel to it. Owain…well, I don't think I need to say anything else on him, do I?"

Robin heard Severa let out a small laugh as he turned to face her. Catching his gaze, Severa quickly looked away as she crossed her arms. She looked as if she was trying to say something, but whatever she had to say wouldn't come out.

"Before anything, I wish to apologize," Robin said. "You were right in accusing me of nearly getting Lucina killed. I shouldn't have let her fight Priam. I'm sorry."

"Hmph, a-as long as you're sorry," Severa huffed, glaring at Robin. Then she averted her gaze as her voice was lowered to nothing more than a mumble. "A-and I-I guess…I'm s…"

"Hm?" Robin raised an eyebrow as he strained his ears to hear Severa as she mumbled something under her breath again. "Severa, I'm sorry, but I cannot hear a thing that you're saying."

"I said I'm sorry! Gawds!" Severa suddenly snapped before her eyes softened again. "F-for you know…punching you… A-anyway! Hurry up and get ready so we can leave!" Her tone became harsh once more before she twirled around to walk away.

Robin lightly chuckled as he continued to work on his tent. After a minute, his tent was flat on the ground, folded up into a thin square that was no larger than a medium sized shield. It was the efforts of him, Miriel, Reina, and Ricken to develop a tent that was easily portable. They had spent days upon days working on the tent and the one that he was carrying was the prototype of their efforts.

Stowing his transforming tent into his bag, he joined up with the others, only to be confused as he was receiving a curious look from the boys and the girls refused to meet his eyes. Cynthia's face turned a bright red once again when her eyes flickered towards Robin for a fraction of a second and she hastily turned around.

"Uhh…is something the matter?" Robin slowly asked.

"…nothing…" Inigo finally said.

Robin didn't believe Inigo at all, raising an eyebrow. Knowing that he wouldn't get an answer, he sighed and started to walk as the others followed him.

(o.o)

"Alright, seriously?" Robin stopped walking.

The party had been walking for the past hour with minimal talk. Whenever Robin would try to start a conversation, all he received was an answer consisting of one or two words. The rest of the time spent was filled with nothing but a very awkward silence.

"You can't tell me that nothing's wrong when none of you are saying a word yet keep eyeing me strangely," Robin claimed. "Now what's bothering you five?"

The Future-Children all avoided his gaze, which further aggravated the already irritated Robin. Sensing a hint of malice from Robin, Inigo finally spoke up.

"It's…it's just that…" Inigo stammered.

"Yes?" Robin took a step forward.

"When _they_ …" Inigo glanced over to his left at Lucina, Owain, and Cynthia. The action caused Robin's gears to start turning as he started putting two and two together. Before Inigo finished speaking, he figured out what the reason was as to why they were all so quiet. "…when they went to wake you up, no one was expecting to see you…in such a shameless position…"

Something inside Robin's head cracked as he heard Inigo finish his line. A vein appeared on his forehead as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"All this…just because the three of you saw me without a shirt on?" Robin shot all of them a menacing look. "Also, how in the world is that being shameless?"

"W-well…from what I managed to gather from Cynthia's broken speech…" Inigo and Cynthia's cheeks flushed. "…you were…touching yourself."

That something that cracked earlier in Robin's head shattered. For what seemed like an eternity, none of them moved as they meekly stared at Robin's blank face. Slowly but surely, a second vein appeared on Robin's forehead as he took in a deep breath through his nose and exhaling through his mouth.

"Mkay…before this gets any more out of hand than it already is…" Robin closed his eyes. "First off, all I was doing was tending to an injury that I sustained from Severa. Since she decided to punch me with her gauntlet on, she fractured a rib and tore my skin open. So, my being shirtless was me applying a vulnerary soaked cloth to the wound to heal it. Second…" Robin opened his eyes to glare at Owain and Lucina. "You two saw what happened…and did nothing to try and correct whatever horrible sight that Inigo imagined? And third…" he turned his attention to Cynthia. "What in the nine heavens was with your wording when you talked to Inigo?! And lastly…" Robin pinched the bridge of his nose. "…is this seriously something to get so flustered over? Seeing a man shirtless?"

"I-it's not because we saw a man shirtless!" Cynthia suddenly blurted. "It was because…" Her voice stopped as her face turned red again.

"It's just that…we weren't expecting your body to be so…" Lucina quietly said.

"What? Covered in scars?" Robin took a guess.

"Built," Owain finished.

"…huh?" Robin's face was expressionless.

"Well, you see…you're always in that flowy coat of yours, and you don't exactly go off showing off like Vaike or Uncle Chrom…" Owain explained, his theatrics absent. "So it never occurred to us that you'd be so muscled."

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose for the third time in less than three minutes. "You've got to be joking. You mean to tell me that all this was just because you saw _me_ shirtless?"

The Future-Children nodded.

"You all are a bunch of innocent little babies," Robin groaned.

"It's not as if we haven't seen the guys in our group shirtless before," Severa said. Funny enough, she was the only one that didn't seem to be so fazed as the other four. "I can't speak for Inigo and Owain because I don't know what they're thinking, but I know sure why Cynthia is acting like this."

Cynthia paled as she looked over at Severa in horror. Paying no mind to Cynthia, Severa continued. "Obviously you're unaware of this, but Cynthia has a HUGE - mmmph!"

"Ha wah wah wah wah!" Cynthia quickly covered Severa's mouth with her hands. Her face on a level of red that Robin had never thought possible on a human's face. In her desperate attempt to prevent Severa from speaking any further, Cynthia tripped over her own feet, sending the both of them crashing to the ground.

"Yup…definitely Sumia's daughter…" Robin deadpanned.

Letting out a tired sigh, Robin trudged on ahead, followed by Lucina while Inigo and Owain spectated Cynthia and Severa try and untangle themselves from one another.

"...Robin?" Lucina hesitantly called out.

"Mm?"

"If you don't mind my asking…" Lucina's voice trailed off.

Robin looked over his shoulder as he continued to walk forward. "What's on your mind?"

Biting her lip, Lucina continued. "How…how did you get all those scars?"

"Is that a trick question? Or…" Robin raised an eyebrow.

"No, it is a genuine question of mine," Lucina replied.

Scratching the back of his head, Robin looked forward. "Fight through multiple wars when you were inexperienced and your bound to get some. Most of them were attained in my world," he explained. "Contrary to how I am now, I was quite a weakling when your father first found me. I could barely wield a sword properly; it was more along the lines of wildly flailing my arms with a sword in hand. My magic was feeble, and even with the aid of a tome, most of my opponents wouldn't fall from a single strike." Robin let out a dry laugh. "In every single duel with any member of the Shepherds, I'd be thoroughly beaten."

"But now you're - "

"Quite possibly stronger than any member of the Shepherds and person on the continent?" Robin finished.

Lucina nodded.

Putting his hands behind his head, Robin let out a wistful sigh. "That's because I spent nearly every moment that I was awake training. When I was told by Chrom to stop training, I'd hole myself up in my room or tent, whichever one I had access to at the time, and read up on tactics and magic."

"But what about during the war with Plegia and Valm?" Lucina inquired.

"Oh yeah, that's when I made it pretty brutal on myself," Robin recalled. "I did the same thing, training and learning, but then I would spend hours and hours creating a plan for the next skirmish. Heh, I've honestly lost count of how many times your father reprimanded me for not getting any sleep. He once went far enough to place Frederick and a few other Shepherds right outside my tent to make sure I would sleep. If Frederick even suspected that I was awake, he'd inform your father, and then Chrom would burst into my tent. I think he actually punched me unconscious a few times."

"That's…" Lucina was at a loss for words.

"In hindsight, it's a memory that I'm actually fond of," Robin said. "Not getting punched, mind you, but just the fact that everyone cared for my well-being, and not just because I was their tactician. Besides, all that effort I put in made me how I am now, so I don't regret it. Not like it made much of a difference in the end…" Robin's face darkened as he slowed to a stop.

"Gah!" Robin clutched his head as it suddenly throbbed in pain. His memories started to swirl together, showing him a clear image of times past.

He was leading a small group of fighters consisting of Vaike, Kellam, and half a dozen other members of the Ylissean army. They were running recon on the Valmese troops by the Mila Tree when they were spotted by a wandering patrol. Even though they immediately turned and ran, they were overtaken by the Valmese fliers, each of them having an archer on the pegasus's back. Arrows rained down on them, wiping out his group, and Robin would've died had Vaike not jumped in front of him.

He was fighting off a small squadron of Grimleal mages with Miriel and Ricken at his side. They were stranded at the edge of a small town while the other Shepherds were across the town, too far away to be of imminent help. Ricken had collapsed due to mana exhaustion while both he and Miriel were both reaching their limits. Due to his exhaustion, Robin failed to see a joint-cast of a _Flux_ spell from two Grimleal, one that would've killed him had Miriel not shoved both him and Ricken away with a powerful gust of wind, only to get hit with the spell herself.

Then he was fighting off against Validar alongside Chrom. Validar spent the last of his life to send a devastating attack at Chrom when Robin pushed him out of the way. As Chrom was helping Robin to his feet, Robin crafted a small dagger made of lightning in his hand and plunged it into his best friend's heart.

"Robin?"

Lucina's voice brought him back to the present. Cold sweat was running down his face and his hands wouldn't stop trembling. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he managed to gather himself.

"Robin, is there something wrong?" The concern was clearly evident in Lucina's voice.

"It's nothing. Just some painful memories." Taking in a deep breath, Robin turned to Lucina while giving her a small smile. "Let's go. We're almost at the library."

Forcing his legs to move forward, Robin threw the memories into the back of his mind. His failures, his shortcomings, none of would come to pass in this world. He wouldn't make the same mistakes this time around.

…

* * *

…

"Woah, that's a really interesting magic! And you said your father created that himself?"

Morgan and Marc were resting in a small forest clearing. With a quick cast of wind magic, Morgan felled a tree, which the two were currently using as a makeshift chair. After encountering a few packs of Risen, they took an interest in each other's fighting styles. It was Marc's first time seeing anyone fight with their fists along with lightning coated arms, so he had asked about her magic.

"Yup!" Morgan proudly beamed. "He said that there were many times when he didn't have a weapon, so he thought up a way to make his arms and legs his weapons!"

"I see," Marc nodded, putting his hand on his chin. "But wouldn't unarmed fighting be useless against an opponent that has a weapon? Most seasoned warriors would be able to take down an unarmed opponent easily."

"Mmm…yeah, I asked him about that, too," Morgan recalled, tilting her head slightly. "But that's when my father surprised me yet again! He said that in many lands, unarmed combat was widely practiced, especially in Chon'sin. So he went to study their way of combat, which he also taught me as best as he could. It would also give him the element of surprise during a fight when he'd lose his weapon!" She looked over at Marc's weapon that was propped up against the log. Noticing Morgan's longing gaze, Marc smiled while reaching over to his weapon.

"This was my mother's sword," Marc said, unsheathing the blade. "Rather, _swords._ " With a click, the twin-blade in Marc's hand split into two separate pieces; one looked to be a katana, but with a slightly straighter edge and thicker blade, and the other looked to be a wider dagger.

"Mother said that it once belonged to a Lady of ages past. But one day, she vanished, said to have gone off to a dream, while leaving her beloved sword behind." A sad smile formed on Marc's lips as he told the story of the weapon in his hands. "After Mother helped a village this one time, they gifted the Lady's sword to her. Then…then…" Marc frowned. "Why...why did Mother give me this sword?"

"Maybe you can't remember at the moment?" Morgan suggested. "We are both suffering from amnesia, after all."

"Hmm, your right." Brightly smiling once more, Marc let out a laugh. "I'm sure everything will come back in time."

"Oh! Maybe my father and your mother will know more!" Morgan was practically bouncing on the log. "Let's go find them!"

Morgan nodded. "Right! I'm sure our parents will be overjoyed to see us!"

"Let's go!" Morgan chirped, quickly standing to her feet.

"Yeah!"

Marc stood to his feet with but quickly stood still.

"Morgan..." Marc warned, gripping the hilts of his swords.

"Yeah, I know." Morgan slowly observed their surroundings.

As the two stood back to back, multiple bandits stepped out from the forest around them. A few of them had swords, others crude looking axes, and one the back was in the attire of a dark mage. He looked to be the leader as he stepped up.

"Now now, what are two children like you doing all the way out here?" the dark mage asked. "It's awfully dangerous in this time of year, you know? Awful bandits and the like."

"Morgan," Marc whispered to his counterpart.

"I'm already on it," Morgan whispered back.

Marc nodded. "On my go."

The two were pooling mana into their hands to take out the bandits. The dark mage looked to be quite skilled, so they had to be slow in order to not raise any suspicion from the mage.

"Why don't you just kindly hand over your weapons and we'll take you to the nearest town?" the dark mage sneered. "Unless you want to play the heroic brother act and try and save your sister. But do you really think you can take down my men all on your own?"

"Brother?" Morgan raised an eyebrow, looking at her 'brother'.

"Sister?" Marc narrowed his eyes.

"Heh, I guess we would look like siblings," Morgan giggled, turning her attention back to the dark mage.

"What are you smiling at?" The dark mage was getting impatient. "Your answer, NOW!"

Smiling, Marc took a step forward. "You want our weapons? Then here!" Raising his arm that he was channeling mana into, he nodded at Morgan. Raising her arm alongside Marc's, the two released their magic.

"Heed us, O Spirit of Jupiter!" The two chanted in unison. A bright energy in the form of purple lightning started to surround the two tacticians. The lightning arced all around them, creating a small barrier of relatively weak lightning magic but still strong enough to repel the bandits that were foolish enough to try and approach. Their eyes now shining a purple hue, the two finished their chant.

"SPARK PLASMA!"

A devastating barrage of purple lightning struck down all around the two. The light was nearly blinding as the bandits who were unfortunate enough to be struck or near one of the lightning bolts were killed instantly. The dark mage hurriedly scampered out of the danger zone as he witnessed his men die in the electric storm. When the magic cleared, all that was left was the charred remains of his men, blackened areas on the ground where the lightning struck, and Morgan and Marc, standing proudly shoulder to shoulder.

"Whew!" Morgan wiped her brow. "That was a little more draining than expected! Maybe Father knows a way to focus the magic in order to lessen the strain?"

"Possibly," Marc said before looking at the remaining dark mage. "But first..."

Scrambling to his feet, the dark mage lifted his tome. "You damned children," he scowled. "I was going to sell you off, but now I'm just going to kill you!" Opening his tome, the dark mage raised his hand at the twins. "RUIN!"

"Ward!" Marc clapped his hands together in front of his chest. A light purple barrier enveloped both him and Morgan as the dark mage's _Ruin_ approached.

The dark mage's eyes widened in surprises as he witnessed his magic seemingly get absorbed by Marc's _Ward_. Bringing his hand back up, the dark mage started to panic as he desperately threw casts of _Ruin_ at the twins. The twins stood still as Marc would continuously cast _Ward_ to protect them from the dark magic.

"Y-You damned brats!" the dark mage shrieked.

The dark mage's desperation increased further when his magic stopped. Frantically flailing his hands, the dark mage nearly broke down.

"W-why! Why can't I cast any magic!" The dark mage cried out.

"Oh, that's because of me!" Morgan playfully said. Taking out a small staff, she held it aloft. "I modified this Silence staff to make it widespread, cancelling any magic within the area around it."

"Wow, that's pretty impressive, Morgan," Marc smiled. "Then this should be easy." Marc raised his arm at the dark mage, but frowned as his mana refused to get channeled. He accusingly shot a look at Morgan.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention _one_ little thing," Morgan gingerly added. "It'll affect ALL magic, whether it's from friends or foe. It even prevents me from using magic."

Marc blankly stared at Morgan when the dark mage slowly started to laugh.

"What do you think you kids can do without your magic?" the dark mage sneered. "How do you expect to stop me?"

"No no no, look. Even if there's no magic, there's this?" Morgan gingerly raised her fists, giving the mage an innocent smile.

"HA!" The dark mage scoffed. "Fists? You're going to fight me with your - "

Morgan suddenly appeared in front of the dark mage, punching the over-confident man in the nose. She felt the mage's nose shatter as a bit of blood landed on her knuckles.

"Yup, fists."

The dark mage fell to the ground before quickly scampering to his feet. "You damned bitch!" Running at Morgan, the dark mage threw a punch of his own, only for Morgan to easily duck underneath and strike his chest with an open palm. Immediately after, she quickly brought up her knee, hitting the hunched over dark mage in the jaw with her kneecap.

Stumbling backwards, the dark mage spat out a mix of phlegm and blood on the ground beside him. "Y-you're kidding me..." the dark mage growled, his shattered teeth showing. "Just who are you!"

Morgan beamed, proudly putting her hands on her hips. "Just the daughter of the greatest tactician in the world!"

"That's debatable!" Marc called out. "I still say my mother's the greatest tactician, not your father!"

"Greatest tactician?" the dark mage narrowed his eyes. Then, they went wide. "Don't mess with me! There's no way that damned traitor would have a child of your age! And were it not for your damned spell, I wouldn't be in this situation!"

"Well, if it'll make you feel any better, I can beat you with my unique, legendary magic?" Morgan offered, as she raised her fist. "It's a magical punch!"

The dark mage took a wary step back before sneering once more. "Ha! You're bluffing! There's no way that you can cast magic! You said it yourself that you can't!"

Paying no heed to the dark mage's rambling, Morgan lightly bounced on her toes before running forward at the dark mage. "Magic~!" She raised her fist.

"EEEK!" The dark mage raised his arms over his face in terror to block the incoming blow.

"~PUUNCH!"

At the last second, Morgan leapt into the air while rotating her body, delivering a devastating heel kick to the man's temple. Marc, who was genuinely intrigued as to what manner of magic Morgan was going to use after all that hype she built up, could only stare in disbelief from Morgan's actions. The dark mage, who was equally as shocked as Marc, was sent sprawling to the ground.

"Allow me to explain," Morgan crossed her arms as if lecturing a child. "My _Magic Punch_ is a punch that rivals the power of a kick due to my own unique and legendary magic!"

"No...that's not - isn't that...just...a kick?" the dark mage sputtered.

"See?" Morgan mischievously grinned. "Now that's what makes it magical!"

The last thing that the dark mage heard before losing consciousness was Morgan's explanation, or lack of. Marc, who heard everything, walked over and placed his hand on Morgan's shoulder with the eyes of a dead fish. Without saying another word, he silently walked off.

"Marc, wasn't that really cool?" Morgan brightly asked. She then frowned as Marc continued to walk away without answering. "Marc? MARC!" Letting out a slightly irritated noise, she chased after him.

* * *

 **And scene! I was finally able to write a little more on Morgan and Marc, which makes me happy. Morgan is definitely one of my favorite characters in the entire FE franchise. As to when they'll meet their respective parents and how said parents will react? Well...stay tuned.**

 **A bit of back and forth between the PoV's of Reina and Robin in this one. As stated in the April Fool's chapter, this little journey that Robin and Reina are on wasn't exactly planned out ahead of time. It was something that I thought of moments after finishing up the Gangrel arc (not like the other chapters were well written/planned out either, as previously explained in the April Fool's and an A.N. from a while ago).**

 **There was a tiny bit of backstory on Robin's previous world, a little breakdown from Severa, one of the classic/cliche walking-in-unannounced-and-seeing-someone-half-dressed tropes, and then there's Lon'qu. Umbasa. *evil grin***

* * *

 **Welp, that's all for now! See you in the next!**

* * *

 **By the way, I hope you guys enjoyed the little ~Extra~ dialogue I added in at the very beginning of the chapter. For those of you who aren't playing FE:Heroes, there's currently a Spring Event with Chrom, Lucina, Xander, and Camilla in bunny costumes. The little ~Extra~ is in reference to that.**


	21. (XX) That Old, Familiar Feeling

**Hey everyone. It's been awhile, hasn't it? Nearly half a month since the last chapter's update. Terribly sorry about that. Things have been busy on my end, and I either had no time to write or was simply too tired from work to do anything else.**

 **But the past couple days I had some free time, so I've been working overtime (not really, since I don't get paid for writing this) to pump out the newest chapters. And yes, you read that correctly. Chapters. With an 's' at the end. Plural. It's my way of a physical/digital apology to everyone for the majorly delayed upload. The next chapter will be up before you guys finish reading this one.**

 **So, without further ado, I shall bid you adieu. For now. See you on the other side.**

* * *

 **P.S. 100 favourites! I've said this before, and I'll say it again. You are all wonderful lovelies.**

* * *

Reina could only watch as Lon'qu's limp body was sent tumbling to the ground.

"NOOO!"

Blasting _Father_ with devastating fire spell, Reina rushed over to the swordsman's side. Turning him over onto his back, Reina's face paled at what she saw. Numerous holes could be seen in Lon'qu's armor with blood pouring out of each one. He was breathing, which was good, but he was still unconscious from _Father's_ attack.

"REINA!" Gaius yelled out a warning.

Turning her head, Reina saw _Father_ leap through the air with his axe raised, ready to bring it down on Reina. Before _Father_ was able to get close, Panne rammed into him in her Taguel form, knocking _Father_ away and crashing against the wall.

"Treat him, quickly!" Panne yelled before turning her attention back to _Father_.

Looking back at Lon'qu, Reina took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Rule one of being a tactician was to always keep a level head, and hers definitely was not a level head at the moment. Exhaling, Reina gingerly placed her hands on Lon'qu's chest as she channeled magic. Ice slowly started to form over Lon'qu's wounds, stopping the bleeding. It was a slow process, but Reina couldn't take any chances at going fast. She had to be careful else she'd accidentally freeze his veins, and after a few tense moments, a small layer of ice was created over each one of the open wounds.

"Gaius!" Reina called out to Gaius, who was currently keeping _Father_ busy along with Panne. "Elixir!"

The thief immediately disengaged and ran over to Reina. Gaius had over a dozen hidden pockets in his clothes. They were usually meant to hold his emergency rations of sweets, but for this mission, he opted to take along a few elixirs as a safety measure. Pulling out a vial from one of his many pockets, he handed it to Reina while giving her a worried look.

"He'll pull through," Reina answered, taking the vial. "I hope."

Turning back to Lon'qu, Reina tipped his mouth open and gently poured the elixir into his mouth as Gaius went back to help Panne. Slowly burning a hole in the ice that was covering his wounds, she proceeded to pour a few drops of the elixir on the wounds. The instant the healing liquid touched the open skin, Lon'qu's body convulsed in pain.

 _Sorry, but just bear with it for a little longer._

Binding his limbs down with ice, Reina continued to pour the elixir into each of the holes. After the placing a few drops into the last wound, Reina released the ice shackles and waited. She glanced over at the ongoing fight between her friends and _Father_ , and was relieved to see the both of them relatively unharmed. Looking back at Lon'qu, she moved her hand to his neck to check for a pulse when his hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, startling her.

"Why does my chest feel cold?" Lon'qu groaned as his eyes slowly opened.

"You're awake!" Reina cried out.

Lon'qu nodded as he struggled to sit up, shattering the ice on his chest in the process.

"…thanks."

Reina shook her head. "I should be the one thanking you. Had you not pushed me out of the way, I would've died. That's not to say you nearly didn't." Placing the half empty vial down next to him, Reina stood. "Rest awhile. We'll finish up."

Lon'qu simply nodded, knowing not to move in his condition as Reina sprinted with her blade drawn.

As she ran, Reina threw an arm out. Four spears made of ice formed around her, which she sent at _Father's_ back. Whether by chance or instinct, _Father_ leapt to the side as the ice spears harmlessly impaled themselves on a wall before shattering. Spinning on his heel, _Father_ raised his firearm at Reina, but Reina was ready this time.

Summoning a wall of ice in front of her, Reina continued to run as the pellets from the firearm were stopped cold from Reina's magic. Dispelling her ice wall, Reina raised her arm once more.

"Arcfire!"

A stream of fire shot out from Reina's open palm. Leaping to the side once more, _Father_ dodged the _Arcfire_. While _Father_ was still up in the air, Panne leapt forward as she swung her claw at him, but _Father_ managed to twist his body at the last second, and Panne was only able to get in a small scratch on his chest. As he landed, Gaius threw three more knives, each one embedding themselves in _Father's_ chest. Reina took this opportunity to lunge forward, making a large red line across his torso with her sword before jumping back to avoid the incoming axe swing.

 _Father_ staggered backwards from the Shepherds cumulative attacks. Looking down at his bloody chest, an eerie grin formed on his face.

"What's that smell?" _Father's_ raspy voice asked directed at no one in particular. He took an uneasy step forward and the Shepherds took a wary step back. "…the sweet blood, oh, it sings to me…"

"The hell is he talking about?" Gaius grumbled.

"No idea…" Reina muttered.

Letting out a raspy breath, _Father_ looked right at them as his head tilted slightly. "Do you smell it? It's enough to make a man sick."

"Yup. The old man is insane," Gaius groaned, twirling his daggers in his hands.

With a roar that sounded like a beast's, _Father_ rushed towards the Shepherds once more. Gaius and Panne ran to his left and right sides while Reina readied herself in the middle. Sidestepping _Father's_ axe swing, Reina was about to counter when a chill ran down her spine. Quickly jumping backwards, she avoided a second swing that came almost instantaneously. Her mind was thrown into confusion as she landed. The manner in which _Father_ had made a consecutive attack without any delay was still on her mind when she _Father_ pressed forward once more.

Reina was forced to be on defense from _Father's_ aggressive attacks. She was able to get a glance over at Panne and Gaius, both of whom were waiting for an opening to strike, but _Father's_ aggressive nature didn't leave many openings. She soon realized that the openings that he would leave were left there on purpose in an attempt to bait out a counter from Reina, and each time she would try to counter, she would be forced back by that instantaneous attack.

After her fourth failed attempt to counter, Reina finally figured out how _Father_ was able to make the second swing. The opening was always left after a heavy downwards swing, which Reina would inadvertently sidestep to the left. Whenever she would try and take advantage of that opening, Father would let go of his axe with his right hand while grabbing it with his left hand, which allowed him to make the near instantaneous counter. It made perfect sense. Swinging a weapon in an upwards-right diagonal motion from that position would be a very awkward with his right hand while it'd be a cinch with his left.

Reina backstepped to create some distance between the two of them when _Father_ closed the gap in a second. He swung his axe down, once again leaving the same opening. Feigning an attack, Reina baited out _Father's_ counter as she pirouetted around his side, avoiding the blow. Using her momentum, Reina swung her sword horizontally, slicing open _Father's_ side, causing him to cry out in pain.

 _Father_ swung his axe behind him, but his movement was sluggish from his wounds. Reina was easily able to parry the blow, which provided Gaius and Panne with the perfect opportunity to jump in. Gaius plunged his twin daggers down on _Father's_ neck before kicking off his shoulders. The moment Gaius leapt back, Panne slammed her claw down on _Father_ , sending him to the ground with enough force to shake the ground.

Panne stayed still for a moment, waiting for _Father_ to move. Once she was satisfied, she reverted to her human form as she took a few steps back, breathing heavily, as was Gaius and Reina.

"Pain…in the…ass!" Gaius said between breaths.

Upon closer inspection, Reina noticed that both Gaius and Panne were covered in nicks and cuts. Noticing that her side felt warm, she looked down to see a large cut on her waist. Her beige shirt was already soaked with blood. She suddenly started to feel light-headed and leaned heavily onto her sword for support.

"Here."

Reina looked up at the voice. Lon'qu was standing in front of her, holding out the elixir from earlier. Gratefully taking the vial, Reina gave Lon'qu a nod of thanks. There was roughly a quarter of it left, but it'd do for now. As she downed the elixir, Gaius took out a new vial, which he shared half with Panne. Though _Father_ was down and she was feeling rejuvenated, she couldn't help but shake off the feeling of uneasiness.

And that's when _Father_ started to transform.

An unearthly scream was released from the depths of _Father's_ throat as he began to writhe about on the ground. A nauseating brown-green colored gas billowed out from _Father's_ body as his bones could be heard cracking and shifting. His limbs stretched out, his back started to curve, and his fingers elongated as they were sharpened into razor sharp claws.

As he slowly stood straight with his transformation finished, Reina realized that she was now staring at a half-human/half-beast monstrosity that was a good three heads taller than her. A rattled breath escaped _Father's_ throat as he looked over at Reina.

"Uh oh…" Reina muttered before jumping to the left.

 _Father's_ beast claw slammed down on the spot she stood not even a second ago, shattering the ground and scattering shards of the flooring all around him. His strength was already ridiculous as a human, but his beast form's strength was through the roof.

Before Reina could recover from her evasion, _Father_ kicked off the ground with an arm raised. Reina was able to bring her sword up to create a barrier the moment before _Father's_ attack landed, but in her haste, she was only able to put up a half-decent guard. Her barrier was broken in an instant as she blocked the blow with her sword, but was still sent back and crashing through a set of tombstones. Her vision blacked out as she hit the back of her head on one of the graves.

Another chill crept up Reina's spine, and she quickly created a spherical barrier in the imminent vicinity out of gut instinct. Not a second later, she felt a powerful force slam down on her barrier, followed by a barrage of lighter hits, but still powerful. Reina fought to focus her blurry vision and the transformed _Father_ when the barrage of attacks suddenly stopped, followed by the sound of something heavy sliding against the ground. More sounds, a bestial roar, grunts of pain, the sound of flesh being pierced, followed by another roar.

Reina's vision slowly started to focus and she was able to make out shapes and colors. A major improvement from the blackness and solid foggy wall of grey from earlier. She saw a block of blue and black enter her field of vision. It took a few more seconds for her to realize that the block of blue and black was Lon'qu, and he easily picked her up to get her as far away from _Father_ as possible.

"Rest awhile. We'll finish up."

Lon'qu repeated her words from earlier as he set her down on the ground, only she was on the receiving end this time. Weakly nodding, Reina closed her eyes, letting them rest from the earlier strain. Focusing on her hearing, she was able to make out the scenes of the fight against _Father_. Heavy footsteps that most likely belonged to _Father_ could be heard from somewhere to her right. A pair of light footsteps, belonging to Gaius and Lon'qu, was heard over the sounds of sifting feet, along with padded sounds that most likely belonged to Panne in her Taguel form.

Reina took a deep breath as she counted the number of her heartbeats. After the tenth count, she opened her eyes and was pleased to see that her vision was no longer fuzzy or blurry. Clenching her hands, she tightened her hand around the handle of her sword. Remembering that she used it to create a barrier, she hesitantly looked down at her sword, and her heart dropped to see her blade shattered. Only a third of the blade was left, and even that was terribly bent beyond use.

Setting her broken sword on the ground beside her, Reina slowly staggered to her feet. Looking back at the other three, Reina mentally patted herself on the back for her pick of partners. _Father_ was a very agile opponent, so had she brought along anyone on horseback such as Frederick and Stahl, or a heavily armored unit such as Kellam, they'd quickly fall prey to _Father._ Actually, Reina wondered if _Father_ would have a difficult time sensing Kellam due to his lack of presence.

Shaking her head, she quickly discarded the thought to focus on the task at hand; taking down _Father_. Running forward, she conjured up a ball of flame in her hand. Seeing this, Gaius, who was currently warding off _Father's_ attacks, jumped back to give Reina a clean shot, which Reina took. Reina's fireball detonated against _Father's_ back, creating a near blinding explosion. Before the flames even began to die out, Reina raised her hands once more as her brow furrowed in concentration. Heat gathered at her fingertips as her eyes shone an orange hue.

"Flare Storm!"

The flames surrounding _Father_ started to pick up speed, swirling around and creating a circular wall of fire. The flames continued to spin faster as Reina channeled more mana, and the flames grew more intense by the second.

Releasing her _Flare Storm_ , Reina started to cast another spell without a moment's rest.

"Gale!"

A sudden wind blew through the area, centering around the pillar of fire that _Father_ was currently trapped in, and the combination of both _Flare Storm_ and _Gale_ created a tornado of flames. From inside the fire tornado, an agonized roar was heard from _Father_.

Reina collapsed onto her knees, exhausted and drained of mana from casting two powerful magics back to back. Beads of sweat rolled down the sides of her face as she stopped channeling mana into _Gale_ , and her body seemed to rejoice in the fact that it was given a chance to rest. Without the constant influx of mana, the wind and flames started to die out. And that's when Reina realized that she ended her magic too early.

From the dying flames, _Father_ came bursting out with his claw raised. Parts of his skin was still on fire as were his clothes. The ragged cloth that once covered his eyes was burnt off, revealing a set of glowing red eyes. Topped off with his elongated limbs part-beast look and blood-stained clothes, Reina was looking at a character straight out of a nightmare.

With great difficulty, Reina rolled to her side, barely escaping death as _Father's_ claw hit the ground, but the force of _Father's_ attack still sent Reina tumbling along the ground. As Reina struggled to stand, she looked up to see _Father_ lunging forward with his hand raised for another strike. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to dodge or create any sort of defensive barrier, Reina shut her eyes and braced herself for the incoming blow. Seconds passed, and nothing happened. Confused, she hesitantly opened her eyes, instantly widening them from what she saw.

Lon'qu was standing in front of her with his sword raised horizontally in front of him. He had barely managed to block _Father's_ attack, but in his weakened state, Lon'qu wasn't able to fight back. _Father_ growled as his jaws snapped forward in an attempt to tear at Lon'qu's head, peppering Lon'qu with spray of slime-like saliva. Just as the swordsman's knees buckled under the weight of _Father's_ blow, a grey and orange blur appeared behind _Father_ with a flash of steel, followed by a spray of blood from _Father's_ back.

 _Father_ roared in pain. Feeling the pressure ease off his blade, Lon'qu tilted his body and sword, throwing _Father_ off-balance. Not letting this chance go to waste, Lon'qu quickly slashed at the nearest body part of _Father_ ; his arm.

The scream that was released from _Father's_ throat pierced through the night, causing Reina's ears to ring. _Father_ stumbled backwards, clutching the stub of his arm with his good one before a large mass of bristles and fur rammed into him. _Father_ was sent crashing into a wall. His body twitched twice as Gaius threw his daggers, impaling themselves through _Father's_ shoulders and into the wall.

Even with his body pinned to the wall, _Father_ roared as he flailed about, struggling to free himself.

"Persistent bastard, isn't he?" Gaius groaned.

Leaning heavily on Lon'qu, Reina raised her arm. Gathering the last of her strength, Reina created a large lance made of ice, and by flicking her middle and pointer finger forward, she shot her ice lance at _Father._ The moment the ice lance pierced _Father's_ chest, Reina clenched her fist.

"Burst!"

A multitude of spikes violently sprouted along the length of the lance, with the majority of it impaling _Father_ from both the inside-out and from the outside. It was a wonder that _Father's_ body remained intact, giving testimony to how durable he was. That didn't stop his blood from showering down upon the ground in his vicinity, blanketing the area in red.

For what seemed like an eternity, nothing moved aside from the blood that dripped was dripping down from Reina's ice lance and the countless protrusions from _Father's_ body. Then a wave of white energy erupted from _Father's_ corpse, and nothing remained of _Father._

"Ha ha…we…we did it…" Reina weakly laughed. Then her vision swirled and she blacked out.

 _. . ._

* * *

 _. . ._

"I need a haircut…" Robin grumbled, toying with a strand of his hair.

Over a year passed since he and the others arrived at the Garden of Giants. Over the course of the year, many things happened, from Robin learning the basics of Light magic again, to each one of the Future-Children getting exponentially stronger, and to his hair growing down to his shoulders.

After he and his group 'pillaged' the library, Robin's plan was for them to leave back to Ylisstol. His plan was pushed back for over a year when Lucina suggested that they take a vacation in the Garden. After talking it over with Priam, Robin managed to persuade the hero-descendant to let them stay. For an extra serving of the bear meat stew, of course.

Their year long vacation worked well in their favor. With the peacetime between the war with Gangrel and the invasion of Valm, Robin was able to set his mind at ease. The same could be said for the Future-Children. They spent their entire lives fighting, so this long overdue break was done wonders for them. They were finally able to act their age without having to worry about their lives, but that didn't stop them from constantly training and growing stronger.

Looking back over at the group, Robin checked up on their progress since they were soon to leave the island. Severa and Cynthia were finished packing their belongings, chatting away while also watching Owain and Inigo as they argued over the ownership of a blanket.

"Once we get back, you can visit a barber."

Robin turned around to see Lucina walking towards him.

"Last time I've visited a barber was…a long time ago. Most of my haircuts I did myself," Robin said, causing Lucina to quizzically tilt her head, asking a silent question. _How?_

Seeing how it'd be easier to show her than to explain Robin lifted his pointer finger, resting it on the bottom of his chin. A small flurry of magic wind blades fluttered around Robin's head and a few seconds later, several locks of his hair fell to the ground. Running a hand through his cleanly trimmed hair, Robin smirked.

"How is it?"

"You look quite - "

"WOAH!" Cynthia's sudden exclamation cut Lucina off as the brunette ran over. "How'd you do that!"

Giving an apologetic smile at Lucina, Robin turned towards Cynthia. "Very careful control over a weakened version of _Wind_. Saves me a lot of time compared to going to a barber and fussing over how they want to style my hair rather than how I want it."

Cynthia adopted a hopeful look but didn't say anything.

"Would you like a haircut?" Robin asked, aware of what Cynthia was thinking.

Cynthia gasped as her eyes widened. Breaking into a wide grin, she gave Robin a rapid nod.

"Alright, take a seat down over on that log," Robin laughed, gesturing to a nearly stump. "Now, how would you like me to style your hair?"

A very confusing explanation and a flurry of wind magic later, Cynthia twirled on her feet, showing off her new haircut. In Robin's eyes, it looked the same. Nothing changed except from the length of her hair as she kept her two twin-pigtails, but she seemed overjoyed nonetheless, so he didn't say anything.

"How do I look?" Cynthia asked.

"Very heroic," Robin simply answered, much to the girl's excitement.

Looking back over at the other time-travelers, Robin noticed a sense of restrained eagerness as they looked at Cynthia. Sighing, Robin folded his arms.

"Would you all like a haircut?"

The remaining four all nodded their heads.

 _. . ._

"Everyone ready?"

"Nope."

"No."

"Not really."

"My a-aching blood y-yearns for this opportunity! Not even time and space can bind my sacred blood to this - ow!"

"Shut it, Owain."

Robin sighed once more. He was standing in the center of one of his magic circles that he drew on the ground. It was glowing with a faint blue light, giving off a low humming sound as Robin poured more and more mana into it. Lucina, Severa, Owain, Cynthia, and Inigo were standing around him in a rough circle with their belongings laid down on the ground next to them, each of them having gotten a haircut of sorts. Beside Robin was his personal knapsack along with an extra bag, filled to the brim with goodies that he 'salvaged' from the library.

"Okay then, if you're all ready…" Robin clapped his hands together before slamming them onto the ground.

The complicated inscription on the ground grew in intensity, causing the Future-Children to shield their eyes. As the light grew brighter and brighter, Lucina had to shut her eyes entirely before she felt a sense of vertigo and fell through the world.

* * *

" _Dad, mom?"_

" _Lucina? What are you doing up so late? It's past your bedtime!"_

 _A younger Lucina peeked into her parents' bedroom, finding them sitting down on a small table. Their eyes were filled with concern when they noticed their daughter enter their room._

" _I…couldn't sleep…"_

" _Oh, my dear baby. What's wrong?" Her mother stood from the table to walk over to Lucina._

" _..."_

" _Lucina?"_

" _...I don't want you to go tomorrow…"_

 _Lucina felt her mother kneel down to wrap her arms around her daughter._

" _Shh…it's okay. We'll be back before you know it."_

" _B-but!"_

" _Besides, it's not like we don't have the greatest tactician on our side!"_

 _Lucina weakly smiled._

" _Robin's gotten us through trials that were three times as difficult as this one," her father reassured her. His voice alone seemed to calm her nerves. "Trust us, both Robin and your parents."_

 _Lucina raised an arm to wipe her tears away before looking at her father with strong eyes. "I'll become big and strong soon! That way I can help you and Robin fight the bad guys!"_

" _Oh, Lucina…" her mother sadly shook her head. "Your father and I are fighting so that you will never have to. We'll do anything and everything to keep you away from the things that we do."_

" _But - "_

" _No buts, Lucina," her father coaxed. "Now get some sleep, okay?"_

" _...okay…" Lucina relented._

" _Good night, my dear." Her mother hugged her tightly once more._

" _Good night," Lucina replied, slowly walking out of the room._

* * *

"...a ...cin… Lucina…"

 _Cynthia?_

"She's not waking up…"

 _Owain…_

"Robin, can you do something?"

 _Cynthia again…_

"Oh trust me, I can do a LOT of things."

 _That's Robin._

"Here, allow me."

Lucina heard footsteps stopping right next to her followed by the sound of clothes rustling. Then she felt a small bit of warmth from someone's hands hovering just above her cheeks. Then her cheeks turned very, VERY cold, nearing the point where she would've gotten frostbite had she not shot up. However, the moment her body shot upwards, a second pain exploded on her forehead, sending her back down, followed by an "ooohhh" from her friends.

"Haaauugh..." Robin let out a pained sound.

"That looked like it hurt. A lot," Inigo quipped.

Rubbing her head, Lucina sat back up, but slowly this time, and looked around. She was in a spacious room full of bookcases that covered most of the walls. Large bookshelves were nearly lined up near the entrance of the room in two rows, creating a makeshift walkway towards a U-shaped table at the end. This place was a place straight from her memories, but there was something, rather a certain tactician, missing at the table.

"Welcome to Ylisstol Castle's study, though I'm sure you're already quite aware where this is," Robin proudly said from behind her. His forehead was a bright red, most likely from her forehead smashing against his, but kept her mouth shut. "It's also pretty much my second room."

Lucina slowly stood as she looked around the nostalgic room. It was the exact same as it was from her time, only better kept. Just to her right was where she once accidentally caused Robin to collapse under a mountain of books as a child, and to left was…an empty space. A small smile formed on Lucina's face as she stared at the blank wall. In her time, she had begged Robin and her father to place a small bed there just so that she could sleep in the same room that Robin would reside in. Severa would often join her on the bed, and the two would fall asleep as Robin read them a story.

Severa walked up next to her sister.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Severa quietly said.

"Yes, it does." Lucina wistfully smiled.

"Heh, remember that one time when the two of us ran here to avoid Frederick?" Severa recalled. "Robin was kind enough to cast a little magic to make it seem like we weren't even there and wore the best poker face when Frederick interrogated him on our whereabouts."

"And the other time you accidentally let out a small fireball when you sneezed, lighting Robin's papers on fire?" Lucina laughed.

"Sh-shut up about that!" Severa's face turned red but was smiling nonetheless. "It was during the time when both of our magic abilities were starting to bloom!"

"You lit my work papers on fire?" Robin was suddenly behind them.

"R-Robin!"

The siblings quickly turned around to see Robin's signature smirk.

"H-how much of that did you hear?" Severa questioned, turning redder by the second.

Robin's smirk widened. "Hmmm, I could be an ass and say that I was here the whole time to have heard _everything_ , or I could be nice and say just got here to listen in on you fire-sneezing on my papers."

Robin's snarky reply earned him a fist in the ribs from Severa as she stormed off in embarrassment.

"I-I deserved that one…" Robin coughed, clutching mid-section.

"Yes, yes you did." Lucina nodded, crossing her arms.

"Ha - haugh, that seriously hurts…" Robin groaned. "That was exact same spot where she hit me back at the Garden, too... Good thing Severa's magic system isn't really wired for self-reinforcement else I'd be dead twice over already…"

Lucina tilted her head at Robin's statement. " 'Magic system'?"

"Oh, that's right." Robin's eyes lit up as if a lightbulb went on in his head. "I told Owain and Severa, but never got around to telling you." Straightening up, he motioned over to the door. "Want to get something to eat as we talk?"

"Food sounds wonderful," Lucina lightly replied.

. . .

"From what I've gathered over the years, there's three different types of mana systems in the human body," Robin started as they walked along the corridors of Ylisstol Castle. "I've dubbed them simply as _Self_ , _Projection_ , and _Catalyst_. Of course, there's the basic magic of casting through tomes and whatnot, but that's not really relevant in this situation. They're all pretty self-explanatory: _Self_ being on one's own body, _Projection_ being a projectile of sorts, and _Catalyst_ being something used as a medium during casting.  
"Severa and Owain are both _Projection_ types, though their respective elemental affinities are different. Severa, having an affinity for fire, is able to create bursts of fire from wherever her blade makes contact, mainly resulting in a small explosion. Owain has an affinity for wind, which allows him to literally create wind blades that aren't unlike the _Wind_ tomes." Robin paused to let all this information settle in Lucina's head.

After a few moments, Lucina gestured for Robin to continue.

"Reina is a _Catalyst_ type. I'm sure you've already realized this since she likes to cover her sword in magic and create barriers from her sword. As for her elemental affinity…it's hard to say. The more adept one is at magic, the easier it gets for them to cast different elemental magics without much of a problem. But if I had to take a guess, Reina's magic affinity would be ice," Robin thoughtfully placed a hand on his chin. "As for you? I'm pretty sure that you're also a _Catalyst_ type, but your affinity is still a blank for me."

"But I haven't been able to do anything that Reina is able to do," Lucina said.

"That's nothing more than a matter of experience," Robin explained. "You can't tell because you wield Falchion, which can't break. If you tried to infuse your mana into a standard weapon, whether it be made of bronze, iron, steel, or even silver, the blade would either shatter or contort. I speak from personal experience."

Lucina nodded. "What about you?" she inquired.

"Me? I'm the _Self_ type, and from what I've seen, I'm the only one that is a _Self_ type. Though, I haven't taken Lissa, Maribelle, Libra, Sumia, or Cordelia into account. I've only seen Ricken and Miriel throw around offensive magic, and both of them are too inexperienced for me to figure out what type of mana system they have. And speaking of the healers, I need to speak with them about Light magic. I'm sure it'll prove useful in their healing arts."

Robin continued to talk about mana circuits and systems as the walked through the castle halls. Turning a corner, they bumped into -

"Oh hey! Cordelia, Sumia, it's been a while," Robin greeted to two pegasus knights.

"Robin!" Sumia immediately tackled the tactician in a hug. Robin let out a pained grunt as Sumia hit the very spot where Severa had punched him not five minutes ago. "And Marth!" She quickly let go of Robin to squeeze the breath out of Lucina. "It's been too long! How was your trip? Did you find anything interesting? Are you two okay? Where are the others?"

"Sumia, relax," Cordelia laughed. "Deep breaths."

Releasing Lucina, Sumia took flustered step back as she took in a deep breath as Cordelia instructed.

Rubbing his aching stomach, Robin looked at Sumia. "To answer your questions in the order you asked them; Yes, it has been too long. It was quite eventful. Yes. Yes. They're somewhere in this castle."

Upon a second inspection, Robin noticed that neither of them were wearing armor, which made sense. There was no imminent threat from Plegia or Valm yet, and Robin couldn't help but think that seeing the two in casual wear was a refreshing sight.

 _ **Calm down there, Robin. One's married and the other…well, I don't know about Sumia, but I'm pretty sure that she and Frederick have a thing.**_

 _What? I can't help it! I've seen them wearing armor for so long that seeing the both of them relaxed like this is a sight for sore eyes._

 _ **Keep your lecherous eyes away from those two beautiful ladies.**_

… _whose eyes are looking where now?_

… _ **shut it.**_

"Robin, Marth," Cordelia gave the both of them a light hug. "It really has been too long."

"What? No way," Robin chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "We weren't gone for _that_ long."

Cordelia's brow furrowed. "Robin, it's been almost a year and a half since you left!"

"Exactly, not that long," Robin grinned.

Cordelia laughed when Sumia's eyes lit up.

"Oh! Robin, Marth! This is a perfect opportunity for you two to meet Lucina!" Sumia said, her eyes shining.

Robin raised an eyebrow. Lucina was standing right here, was she not? Then he realized that Sumia wasn't talking about Marth-Lucina, but rather the baby Lucina of this world.

"Oh, that's right!" Sumia gasped. "You two weren't here for it, but Cordelia is now a mother!"

"What?! Congratulations!" Robin exclaimed, beaming at a flushed Cordelia.

"Congratulations, milady," Lucina said, looking overjoyed at her younger self's birth.

"Thank you," Cordelia said. "Sumia and I were on our way to meet Lucina right now. Would you like to join us?"

Robin looked over at Lucina (the grown-up one), who gave him a small nod in reply.

"We would be happy to join you," Robin replied.

Sumia was practically bouncing in happiness. "Oh, this is so great! Let's go!"

Grabbing onto Robin's arm, Sumia nearly pulled his arm out of its socket as she yanked him along down the hall. The excited pegasus knight was either ignoring or didn't hear Robin's multiple cries of pain as she forcefully dragged him along, leaving behind a slightly worried mother and future-daughter.

"I don't think I've seen Sumia this excited in a long time," Cordelia said as they proceeded down the hall. "Last time would be on the day of her wedding over a year ago."

"I must agree," Lucina replied. "I've come to realize that Lady Sumia has a very bright personality, but even I must admit that this is quite unusual experience."

"She's been in better moods a lot recently," Cordelia noted.

The two continued to walk when Cordelia posed another question.

"If you don't mind me asking, what were we like in your future?" Cordelia asked.

Lucina was silent for a moment, choosing the right words in order to not reveal her identity as Chrom and Cordelia's daughter.

"Everyone was more or less the same as they are now." Lucina reminisced on her past. "Sir Frederick would always be by Prince Chrom, refusing to leave his side. Lady Lissa was the ever-sprightly cleric, always having a smile on her face and often playing pranks on Robin. Lady Sumia, and you as well, Lady Cordelia, were looked upon as not only the Wing-Commanders, but as the role-model for all. After the entire company of Royal Pegasus Knights fell in battle, the two of you built up the Royal Pegasus Knights, and were often seen together. As for Reina, she didn't exist in my time, so I don't have much say in the matter."

Cordelia nodded, seemingly pleased with her answer. "I've noticed something," Cordelia hummed. "Why is it that you refer to the Shepherds as 'Lady' and 'Sir', but not our tacticians?"

"The Shepherds were regarded as heroes in my world, and with it, came formalities," Lucina explained. "Everyone in the Shepherds were regarded as 'Sir' and 'Lady', with the only exception being the children of the Shepherds to their respective parents."

"But that doesn't explain the reason why you don't use any formalities with Robin and Reina. Both of them are of high ranking in the Shepherds and even in Ylisstol since Robin is essentially Chrom's right hand. Rather, you speak with the former as if he's a close friend."

Lucina fell silent once again as she mulled over her mother's words. There was truth in them; she felt more comfortable around Robin than she did with anyone else, even compared to the other children that she ventured to the past with.

"That's merely a matter of their personal requests," Lucina finally answered. "On the night when I first met Robin and he regained his memories, he asked that I not use any formalities with him because it felt unnerving. Reina asked that I also stop because it made her feel older than she really was."

"I see… Then would you take my request as well?" Cordelia asked. "Of not adding the 'Lady' when addressing me."

"Of course," Lucina complied. She wanted nothing more than to call out to her as 'Mother', but refrained from doing so. She wondered when she'd be able to reveal her identity since her father and mother were already married in this world and she was already born. Lucina made a mental note to consult Robin on that matter when Cordelia stopped in front of a door.

"Well, here we are," Cordelia gingerly said, opening the door and ushering Lucina inside.

Lucina stepped inside the room, instantly recognizing it as her parents' bedroom. It was a spacious room with an oval table placed off to the side next to the fireplace. On the east side of the wall was a king sized bed that was no doubt shared by her parents. Light blue drapes hung down from the top of the bed like silk, and the sunlight poured in from a window just above the bed. Seated at the table was her father and Sumia, both laughing at the spectacle that was going on in the middle of the room. Lucina herself couldn't help but smile at what she was seeing.

In the middle the room was Robin. He was laying down on the floor, unable to get up as a baby Lucina was sleeping peacefully while using Robin's chest as a pillow. Sitting with her knees together above Robin's head was another baby with dark brown hair, absentmindedly pulling on Robin's hair, causing his face to contort into one of pain. Sitting just behind the baby was Cynthia, who was holding the baby in her lap while looking at her with adoring eyes.

"Marth!" Chrom immediately stood to welcome the future princess. "I'm glad to see you unharmed from your travels. Please, have a seat." Pulling out one of the chairs, he gestured for her to sit.

"Thank you." Lucina politely nodded while taking Chrom's offer. Looking back towards the helpless tactician, Lucina smiled again. "Congratulations to both you and your wife."

Chrom scratched the back of his head in an embarrassed manner. "Thank you. To be honest, this is all still very new to me. I don't know the first thing about being a father."

"You were a wonderful father in the future," Lucina assured him.

"Thank you, Marth." Chrom gave her a thankful nod.

Looking back over at Robin who was now waving his hands in front of the brunette baby to keep her from pulling his hair, Lucina couldn't help but wonder…

"Sumia forgot to tell you because she was too excited in bringing Robin here, but Sumia is also a mother," Cordelia said as if she knew what Lucina was thinking. "The one sleeping on Robin's chest is Lucina, while the one in Cynthia's lap is Sumia's child."

Lucina(Marth) looked over at Sumia, who was red in the face, but happy nonetheless. "Congratulations to you as well, Lady Sumia."

"Th-thank you," Sumia squeaked.

"Hey, Marth," Cynthia called, hoisting baby Cynthia up. "Isn't the little me really cute?"

"Wha - Cynthia!" Lucina was taken aback at Cynthia's straightforwardness. Even if the Cynthia of this world was born, she still should've taken precaution and -

"It's alright," Robin chuckled from the ground, causing Lucina's brow to furrow in concern. "Well, not like I could've done anything to prevent it since Cynthia practically barged into the room and blurted out, 'MINI-ME!', the moment she saw her younger self. Then both she and I had to go through the trouble of explaining to Sumia that Cynthia was her daughter from the future. Thankfully for us, Sumia is the understanding type."

Sumia nodded at Robin's words, her eyes shining as she stared at her daughters, both present and future.

"Besides, there's no harm done, is there?" Robin reasoned. "Baby Cynthia, or rather, Sylvia, is already born and Sumia and Frederick are already married."

"Sylvia?" Lucina asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mhmm!" Sumia beamed. "Having two daughters with the same name wouldn't be fair for either of them, not to mention that it'll be really confusing."

"A feeling that I know much too well…" Robin muttered under his breath.

 _ **I know you love me.**_

 _You stay out this, Alternis._

 ** _You just referred to me..._**

 _Doesn't mean you need to answer._

 ** _Fine, you jerk. You can't see it by I'm sticking my tongue out at you._**

"Cynthia was fine with her younger self having the same name, but I wouldn't have it," Sumia continued. "I'm sure Frederick won't mind, especially since our daughter grew up to be such an amazing woman."

"You mean it?" Cynthia hesitantly asked.

"Of course!" Sumia quickly answered, slightly appalled at her daughter's uneasiness.

Tears welled up in Cynthia's eyes. "Thanks, mom!"

Beaming, Cynthia went back to playing with Sylvia. Grabbing onto her arms, Cynthia brought Sylvia's hands down on Robin's hair, only to have the young one yank his hair once more. Robin yelped in pain from the tug, which brought a laugh out of everyone one in the room.

"I'm surprised at how deep of a sleeper Lucina is," Sumia commented, staring at the still-sleeping child. "A normal person and baby would have woken up from Robin's cries by now."

"Can you blame her?" Chrom chuckled. "Robin has a very calming air around him. Just being near him makes me feel at ease."

"Careful, Cordelia," Robin smirked at the red-haired knightess. "I think your husband is coming onto me."

Cordelia smiled. "So nothing new."

"True." Robin reached over and started fiddling around with Sylvia's hands. "Chrom, marry me. Let's elope."

"R-Robin!" Lucina gasped. From behind her, Sumia fell over from her chair.

"Sumia!" Cordelia quickly rushed over to her friend and helped her up. "Are you - oh, not again..."

The pegasus knight was bleeding profusely from her nose as her cheeks were a bright pink.

"I'm alright," Sumia said with a wave of her hand.

"Mother! What happened!" Cynthia quickly placed Sylvia on Robin's chest, causing a grunt of pain from the tactician as she ran over to Sumia.

"I-it's nothing," Sumia stammered. "Just my imagination going - "

Sumia fell back over as a more blood comically spewed from her nose like a fountain. Funny enough, her face was one of complete bliss when Cordelia and Cynthia caught her.

"Ha wah wah wah! Mother!"

"She's going to be alright," Cordelia coaxed. "This isn't the first time this happened to your mother, nor will it be the last."

"Is something wrong with Lady Sumia?" Lucina asked, her voice racked with concern.

Cordelia sighed. "There's nothing wrong with Sumia. Only, her fantasies tend to be a little…how should I put this…"

"…a little deviant?" Robin offered from the floor.

"Yes, deviant." Cordelia nodded, looking at Cynthia. "Let's bring her to the infirmary. This much of blood loss can't be good. Even for her."

The two whisked the unconscious yet giddy Sumia out of the room, leaving Chrom, Lucina, and Robin (who's still pinned down by two infants) in the room. After a long silence, Robin finally spoke.

"My offer still stands."

"Yeah, I know," Chrom chuckled.

"You can't be serious!" Lucina exclaimed.

Chrom and Robin both stared at Lucina before bursting into laughter.

"Relax," Robin grinned. "We're just messing around about the marriage, though I think I now know what was going on in Sumia's head."

"As do I," Chrom agreed.

Before Lucina could ask what they meant, the door opened again with Lissa peeking inside.

"Hey!" the bright princess chirped. "Just thought I'd tell you that Reina and her group returned."

 _. . ._

Five minutes later, Robin, Chrom, Lucina, Lissa, and Cordelia were standing by the castle entrance. Baby Lucina was being held in Cordelia's arms while Sylvia was up on Robin's shoulders. Sumia was still giddy in the infirmary with Cynthia and Frederick, both being worried for Sumia. Approaching the castle was four familiar figures. They all looked the same, but just a little worn out. The only one that was noticeably different would be Reina, who was sporting a new coat and hat. At first glance, the coat looked to be a brand new one, but Robin could tell that it was the very same one that both she and Robin always wore, only a little different.

Rather than the usual bagginess of her coat, Reina's coat was now more form-fitting. The sleeves were also a little tighter, and she was wearing brown leather gloves that stopped just below her elbows. Her usual beige colored shirt was replaced with a black one with golden linings and a thin, grey-blue scarf was loosely wrapped around her neck. She also had a leather tri-pointed hat that would make a certain rum-loving captain of the seas very proud.

At her side was a very peculiar looking sword. It looked to be of Chon'sin make, but at the same time, unlike one. Never before had Robin seen a sword that had a second blade from the end of the hilt. Noticing Robin's look of curiosity, Reina simply grinned at her counterpart.

"Welcome back." Chrom greeted the four on their return.

"It's good to be back." Reina returned the greeting with a cheerful wave of her hand.

"Reiiinaaaaa!" Lissa yelled out while dashing forward.

As Lissa tackled Reina in a hug, Robin walked over to Gaius, Lon'qu, and Panne.

"It's good to see you safe," Robin said.

"Heh, you can thank Snowflake for our safe return," Gaius replied. "Were it not for her, Lon'qu may not have made it. Then again, he did save her life at the same time, so…"

"What?!" Chrom walked over. "I thought it was just a beast hunt!"

Gaius shrugged. "That's what we thought too, but…"

"Perhaps we should discuss this elsewhere?" Panne suggested.

Nodding, Chrom led everyone inside.

 _. . ._

* * *

 _. . ._

"And that's pretty much it," Reina concluded, leaning back on her chair.

She had just finished explaining her team's mission up to part of _Father's_ death. Chrom had brought everyone to Robin's (the castle's) study to talk.

"I blacked out after that, so I don't know much of the events that occurred on the way back to the village," Reina said, looking over at Gaius.

"Nothing much to tell, honestly," Gaius sighed. "We just rested up a little before proceeding through the gate that was at the top of the stairs in the same graveyard. Next thing we know, we're back in the village. The village elder had us rest in their inn and heal before giving us some gifts."

"Gifts? You mean like Reina's new outfit and sword?" Robin asked, curiously looking over at Reina.

"My my, Robin, are you jealous of my fashion?" Reina teased.

"Just a bit," Robin admitted. "Especially that hat. I'm really liking that hat. Don't be surprised if it 'accidentally' ends up on my head some day."

The two laughed before Cordelia spoke.

"Why the sudden change of fashion, Reina?" Cordelia asked.

Reina shrugged. "My old one was torn and tattered from the fight with _Father._ When we returned, the village elder asked if I'd like a new one, but I wanted to keep mine. So, he gave me another option, one where I could keep my cloak but it'd get remodeled since it was impossible to just repair it. As to why, I don't know. You'd think that fixing something would be easier than remodeling, but I'm not well-versed in sewing. Anyways, the design for my cloak was based off one of the village elder's students, and he even gifted me the sword that she once wielded."

Pulling out her twin-bladed sword, she laid it on the table for the others to see. Everyone except for the ones from Reina's party looked it at with an intense curiosity. Then Reina twisted the handle, splitting the weapon into two separate swords, and an audible gasp escaped from Lissa and Sumia's mouths.

"Pretty neat, right?" Reina grinned. "The elder called it 'Rakuyo'. Each one of us got one of their weapons as a thank you."

Following Reina's example, Gaius and Lon'qu each pulled out their new weapons.

Gaius's weapon was still a dagger, but Robin raised an eyebrow as to why he'd give up his twin-daggers for a single one. He was given his answer when Gaius flipped a tiny contraption on the dagger's pommel, and half of the grip swung forward, attached to the remainder by the very tip of the blade. Grabbing the second handle, Gaius pulled the two apart, revealing a set of twin daggers from the single blade from earlier.

Lon'qu's weapon looked to be a simple katana, not unlike his previous sword. The scabbard was crafted with elegant gold engravings with a blood-red cloth tightly wrapped around the top. But seeing how Reina and Gaius's weapons had a little trick to them, Robin expected the same from Lon'qu's. Swinging his new sword down, the blade's length suddenly extended - no, extended was the wrong word. Rather, a scarlet liquid appeared along the tip of the blade.

"Is…is that…?" Sumia's voice slowed to a stop, unable to speak her mind.

"Blood." Lon'qu simply nodded, before dispelling the dark red extension of the sword. "Or so I'm told."

Not pressing the issue, everyone's head turned to Panne, who reluctantly sighed.

"Come on, Panne!" Lissa excitedly said. "The others showcased theirs!"

"Naaaahh, Panne is just embarrassed because hers isn't much different from - OW!"

Gaius's comment was abruptly stopped by a punch from Panne, only she had some sort of weird gauntlet equipped. Two sharp spikes protruded from the end, each the color of dried bone, and they were held together by a hastily wrapped cloth.

 _Those are actual bones…_ Robin realized.

"Beast Claws, the villagers called it, and aptly named," Panne informed, looking at her new gauntlet with a glint in her eyes. "Crafted from the remains of undead darkbeast. They dared not touch it, for they may have turned into beasts themselves, but I find it fitting."

"Interesting," Chrom muttered, eyeing the weapons with newfound interest.

"I know what you're thinking, Chrom, and no, there's no chance that we can go back," Reina nonchalantly hummed.

"Why not?"

"Because after we left, rather, sent away, the village just vanished like a mirage," Reina explained. "Part of me still thinks that the entire trip was a dream, especially since the village elder gave us the departing words of, 'Farewell, keen hunters. The night, and the dream, were long…', but the gifts we received is a fact that it wasn't a dream."

Chrom opened his mouth to speak when the door to the study flew open, revealing a stoic knight in white and blue armor.

"Frederick? Is there something wrong?" Chrom's brow furrowed slightly upon the knight's sudden appearance.

"A messenger from Regna Ferox, milord," Frederick smartly informed. "She awaits you at the castle entrance."

 _. . ._

Chrom and Cordelia made their way to the castle's entrance while being accompanied by Robin and Frederick. The four from Reina's party had gone off to do their own things, while Lissa took Lucina and went off to gods know where. As they approached, Regna Ferox's messenger bowed, and Robin recognized the messenger. After all, how could he forget the woman who ordered her guards to attack the Shepherds at the Feroxi Border?

"Raimi, was it?" Chrom greeted the border captain.

"Prince Chrom!" Raimi bowed once more. "I come on behalf of Khan Regnant Flavia."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "Flavia? Well, this is a surprise. Is something amiss?"

"I'm afraid so, milord," Raimi grimly replied. "The Khan requests your presence at the summit as soon as you're able."

"What happened?" Chrom asked, his brow furrowing.

"Chrom, you're going to get wrinkles at the rate your brow furrows," Robin said. "Besides, didn't I tell you of this? Valm invades a couple years after the war with Gangrel, we repel the initial invasion, then go to Valm to fight Walhart?"

"Ah, that's right, you did mention that," Chrom recalled. Looking back over at Raimi, he continued. "We'll be there the moment we're mobilized."

"Thank you, milord." Raimi bowed once more before leaving.

Walking back inside, Chrom ran his fingers through his hair.

"Frederick."

"Yes, milord!"

"Notify the Shepherds," Chrom ordered. "We leave within the hour."

"At once, milord." Frederick straightened his back. "But what of those currently on leave?"

"Send a messenger pigeon or hawk to them," Chrom replied. "Tell them to make their way to Regna Ferox as soon as they're able."

Giving his lord a crisp salute, Frederick walked off in search of the Shepherds that were currently stationed in Ylisse..

"Well, I'll be down at the barracks if you need me," Robin said, stretching his arms. "Luckily for me, I still haven't unpacked my travel bag, so I'm already prepped. Just gotta take out a couple things and I'll be good to go."

Chrom grinned. "Nice to know that you're always on top of things."

"Just doing my job," Robin smiled, walking off towards the castle's study where he left his knapsack.

The last thing he heard was Chrom and Cordelia talking about baby Lucina before he turned the corner and down the labyrinth of hallways back to the castle's study.

* * *

 **And here we are! The end of the two-year-Garden-Yharnam-mini arc! If this was an anime, it'd be nothing more than a sort-of filler arc since the characters involved actually get something out of this.**

 **The fight with _Father_ was a lot of fun to write out, but at the same time, a pain in the ass. I did my best to keep it true to the SoulsBorne franchise's infamous difficulty learning curve, and the Father Gascoigne from Bloodborne was the perfect pick. He's the first major hurdle that all first-time Bloodborne players face since he uses the same techniques as you for the first part of the fight. When he enters his second phase of his beast form, that's when the game rewards you for timed gun-parries and well timed dodges, while at the same time, severely punishes you for your mistakes.**

 **In AA's scene, I tried to bring that back in from _Father_ (Father Gascoigne, if you've yet to realize) being very nimble in both human and beast form, to his beast form's tankiness, and the brute force that he has. Hopefully I was able to get those elements of the fight captured well.**

 **In case any of you are wondering, the new weapons that Reina's group received are all from Bloodborne. Reina has the Rakuyo, Gaius has the Blades of Mercy, Lon'qu has the Chikage, and Panne has the Beast Claws. The only one that I went back and forth on was Lon'qu's weapon. I was stuck between giving him the Chaos Blade from the Dark Souls series, the Chikage, the Onikiri &Udabachi from Dark Souls 3, or Sephiroth's Masamune from Final Fantasy. I ended up using Chikage since the others got their weapons from Bloodborne, and also because its has the length of a normal katana plus the "bloodied" form giving it almost Masamune's length.**

 **Reina's new outfit (plus weapon) is heavily based off of Lady Maria's outfit, also from Bloodborne. Once again, I did my best for the description of it. If I failed to depict a clear image of what Reina's "new" cloak looks like, just Google 'Lady Maria outfit Bloodborne'.**

 **The same goes for all the other easter-eggs/references. If I was unable to depict the fight, enemy, or weapon in your minds, you can use Google to do what I failed to do.**

 **Moving on from Bloodborne (sort of), Jack Sparrow reference? Anyone?**

* * *

 **The usual review/comment reply section:**

 **\- Matt Cyr: Nope, not from RWBY. Though, I'm pretty sure you've already figured that out as you read through this chapter and A.N.**

 **\- ARSLOTHES and Guest (1): Yes and yes. The first inspiration came from reading Rokudenashi's LN and Zombie a loooong time ago. Then I remembered it when I saw that it (Rokudenashi) was getting an animated series, and I was like, "I'm putting that scene in here."**

 **\- Antex and Anonymous Geek: Many thanks to the both of you :)**

 **\- Guest: Robin's hatred of the desert is based off of the same hatred I have for sand.**

* * *

 **And that's all for now (not really, since the next chapter is out by the time you're reading this)! See you on the flipside!**


	22. (XXI) A Day at the Beach

**Told you this chapter would be up before you finished the previous one. That's because I re-re-re-reread it and re-re-re-reedited it and uploaded the two back to back.**

* * *

A cool sea breeze swept through the area, rustling a white haired tactician's hair under the moonlight. Normally, the sea breeze cause one to shiver under the cold wind in Regna Ferox's harsh climate, but to Robin, it was nothing more than a very refreshing one. It was to be expected from one that spent the last few days cooped up in one of Ferox's rooms. Both he and Reina had gone through the Valmese invasion in their times, but it never hurt to take precautions. They also had to take into account of the other time-travelers along with the lack of Shepherds that came to Ferox.

The majority of the Shepherds were in Ferox, but a few had yet to arrive. Tharja was helping out the new king of Plegia with some internal issues, so the earliest she'd be able to arrive would be by the end of the week. Maribelle was on her way from her home and was said to arrive tomorrow evening. Miriel had another experiment gone wrong, which incapacitated both her and Ricken, both of whom were currently on the way in a healer's carriage. Libra was also on his way, having traveled across the land spreading the word of Naga. Virion had also joined the Shepherds once more, his secret of his status as the Duke of Rosanne no longer being a secret. Kellam, the poor man, was nowhere to be seen, as usual.

Robin heard a set of footsteps approach from behind him. Without even looking, he was able to match the sound of footsteps to their owner.

"Scouts say that the Valmese fleet will be arriving tomorrow morning," Robin said, eyes set on the horizon. "Aside from that, you've nothing to be worrying about, Chrom."

Letting out a light laugh, Chrom stood next to Robin. "What of the townsfolk?"

"Already evacuated," Robin stated. "Defenses were already set up around the port, and both Reina and I will freeze the bay as the fleet approaches."

"...how much sleep have you gotten?" Chrom suddenly asked.

"I've been getting enough."

Chrom stared at his friend. "Robin, I can see the bags under your eyes. Now I'll ask once more; how much sleep have you gotten?"

"Eight hours," Robin muttered.

"Over the course of how many days?"

"…"

"Dammit, Robin…" Chrom groaned. "How many times have I told you to rest in the past four days?"

"I've stopped keeping count after eleven."

"Well, you can add one more to that lost list. Get some rest."

"…"

"Robin, the Valmese fleet arrives in less than twelve hours, and I'm not going to have my friend fight while being sleep deprived," Chrom sternly said.

"Alright," Robin sighed, turning around to leave.

"And Robin?"

Robin looked over his shoulder. Chrom was looking right at him.

"Thanks. For everything."

Robin turned back around. "Keep saying things like that, and I'll start thinking that you have plans on firing me."

Chrom laughed. "Good night, Robin."

 _. . ._

* * *

 _. . ._

" _We did it!" Chrom gasped, panting._

 _Robin could only muster the strength to nod, too tired for words. Both of them watched as Validar's body crumpled to the floor from Chrom's sword piercing his heart. Smiling at the tactician, Chrom joyfully shook Robin's shoulder._

 _A sense of dread fell over Robin. A purple energy started swirling around Validar's dead body._

" _DAMN YOU BOTH!"_

 _With a final scream, Validar shot the mass of dark magic._

" _Chrom!"_

 _Running forward, Robin shoved Chrom out of harm's way before Validar's magic hit him. Pain unlike anything he'd ever felt shot up his entire body. After what seemed like an eternity of pure agony, Robin fell backwards._

" _Robin! Robin, can you hear me? Robin!"_

 _Robin groaned. Chrom's booming voice did nothing but cause Robin's head to throb in pain._

" _Are you alright?" Chrom asked._

" _Urrgghh…yeah, I'm fine," Robin managed to croak. His throat burned with each word that he spoke._

 _Sighing, Chrom looked back over at Validar's corpse._

" _That's the end of him," Chrom said. "Thanks to you we carried the day."_

 _A sharp pain suddenly spiked up Robin's head and he clutched his head inadvertently._

" _We can rest easy now." Chrom looked down at Robin, brows furrowing the moment he noticed Robin's discomfort. "What's wrong?"_

 _ **Stay back!**_ _Robin wanted to yell, but his voice wouldn't come out._

" _Hey, hang on!" Chrom reached forward._

 _ **No…no no no!**_

 _Robin was helpless, unable to control his own body as mana was poured into his hand. A moment later, a small dagger composed of lightning was in his hand._

 _ **Chrom, get away from me! Dammit, body! Stop!**_

 _Robin felt his arm move with the lightning dagger in hand. He hopelessly watched as his friend's body went rigid from Robin's dagger piercing his heart._

 _ **NOO!**_

 **. . .**

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Robin shot up from his bed. His face was beaded with sweat and his breathing was erratic.

"It was just a dream, it was just a dream…" Robin repeated, calming his nerves. Running his hand through his hair, he managed to control his breathing.

Judging from the darkness of his room, Robin figured that the sun had yet to rise. Once his heartbeat stopped beating so loudly, Robin was able to hear the sounds of the birds chirping outside, so he guessed that it was nearly dawn. Not wanting to go back to sleep, Robin crawled out of bed.

 _Strange… I haven't relived that memory in a long time. Why now?_

Sighing, Robin threw on his cloak before walking outside. Snow was gently falling from the sky, blanketing the world in a sheet of white. His boots made soft crunching noises as he mindlessly walked around to clear his head. He was so lost in thought that he didn't pay attention to where he was walking until someone's arm lightly pushed him back. Blinking, he looked up to see a woman with rosy pink hair standing in front of him.

"Lord Robin?" the woman brought him back to his senses.

"Lady Cherche." Robin respectfully lowered his head to Virion's retainer. Looking around, he realized that he had walked to the edge of Port Ferox.

Cherche was standing in front of him, her ruby colored eyes staring into his hazel ones. Behind her was a large wyvern, its scales the color of obsidian. Meeting Robin's eyes, the wyvern snorted.

"And Minerva," Robin greeted the wyvern before looking back at Cherche. "Apologies, I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going. I'm sorry if I bothered the two of you."

"It's quite alright," Cherche replied. "May I ask why you're up so early? Dawn has yet to break."

Robin weakly smiled. "The same could be said for you."

"I'm usually up this early," Cherche said. "My dear Minerva would get angsty if I'm gone for too long."

Robin lightly chuckled, causing Cherche's eyes to narrow.

"Is there something wrong?" There was a bit of edge in Cherche's voice as Minerva let out a low growl.

"No, nothing's wrong," Robin quickly answered, remembering the tight-knit bond between the wyvern and rider. "I had merely forgotten how close the two of you were…or are."

Cherche raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid I don't understand. Have we met before?"

"Mm…yes and no. Have you read the reports regarding Marth and her companions?"

"Yes, I have. And I'm still having a difficult time wrapping my head around the fact that they're from the future," Cherche said as she shook her head. "But what do they have to do with what we're talking about?"

"Like Marth and her friends, I'm from the future as well, and so is Reina," Robin simply stated. "Of course, I don't expect you to believe me right away. I wouldn't either were I in your shoes."

Cherche remained silent as her eyes seemed to pierce through Robin's soul. Robin couldn't help but wonder why so many of the women he came across had such intense gazes when Cherche sighed.

"You speak the truth," she finally said.

"Oh? You accepted that quite fast." Robin slightly tilted his head. "Not that I'm complaining."

"I'm a good judge of character," Cherche explained. "And Minerva can also tell when someone's lying. The fact that she hasn't tried to eat you is proof of that."

Robin chuckled as he motioned over at the deadly wyvern.

"May I?"

Understanding his intentions, Cherche slowly nodded. Stepping forward, Robin approached Minerva, who instantly rose to feet. As Robin drew closer, Minerva's body tensed up, ready to attack at the first sign of hostility from the tactician. Stopping right in front of the wyvern, Robin calmly extended his hand...and waited. The two eyed one another as Cherche watched intently.

Then Cherche softly gasped when Minerva relaxed. Smiling, Robin took another step forward before scratching the underside of Minerva's jaw. Never before had Cherche seen someone gain the trust of a wyvern so quickly.

"Robin, what was that?" Cherche couldn't help but ask.

"Hm?"

"I've never seen someone befriend a wyvern so quickly."

Robin shrugged. "I've learned a lot about wyverns in my world. Plus, being from the future and knowing quite a lot about Minerva helps. Like how she loves it when she's scratched right…here!"

Robin reached over and scratched the nape of Minerva's neck. The wyvern cooed in pleasure as she closed her eyes.

"And here I thought that I was the only one that knew that," Cherche said, looking at Robin with a newfound interest. Most people would run at the sight of a wyvern, but here Robin was interacting with Minerva just as she would herself.

Minerva let out a sad whine when Robin stopped scratching her neck.

"Sorry, but there's that Valmese fleet that's arriving soon," Robin coaxed, rubbing her snout. "I'll play with you once we're finished there, okay?" Minerva snorted. "Yeah, I know you're strong. I'm sure you can take care of the entire fleet with just you and Cherche." A proud roar. "But the rest of us aren't as strong as you, so we need to be careful." Another snort. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to finish it quickly so that you don't have to worry."

Cherche looked at Robin in awe once more.

"You can understand what she's saying?" Cherche marveled.

"More or less," Robin answered, walking back to Cherche. "I don't know exactly what it is that she's saying, but I can take a good guess from her reactions. It also helps that she's a very intelligent wyvern."

Cherche smiled. "You're simply full of surprises, aren't you, Robin?"

"All part of being a tactician," Robin jokingly boasted.

Then his eyes saddened as the first rays of the sunlight streaked through the three of them watched in comforting silence as the the sun slowly rose over the horizon, illuminating the port.

"No matter how many times I see it, the sunrise is always beautiful," Cherche wistfully sighed.

"…yeah…it is…" Robin quietly said, his voice just louder than a whisper.

Another few minutes passed before Robin turned to leave.

"I'm going to grab breakfast with the Shepherds," he said. "Will you be joining us?"

"I think I'll watch the sunrise for a little longer," Cherche replied.

Robin nodded. "Alright, but don't take too long, else Stahl will eat everything."

"Duly noted," Cherche laughed.

* * *

"I can't believe we missed them!" Morgan groaned.

Grumbling, Morgan sat down on a bench. Marc also took a seat next to her, letting out a tired sigh.

"By only a few days too," Marc muttered.

The two sat in silence as they watched the bustling streets of Ylisstol. Everyone seemed to be moving around with purpose, someone them not looking where they were walking as they moved on auto-pilot. Shops lined the streets with their owners hollering at any and every passerby in an attempt to sell their goods.

Sighing, Morgan stood up and stretched.

"Come on, let's go," she said. "If we hurry, we can get to Regna Ferox just before nightfall."

Nodding, Marc stood up and the two of them made their way to Ylisse's northern exit when they were stopped by a serene voice.

"Excuse me, if I may have a moment?"

Morgan and Marc both turned around to see a beautiful woman. She had long golden hair and was dressed in a cleric's garb. Strangely enough, a menacing looking axe was strapped to her back.

"Yes?" Marc spoke up.

"I couldn't help but overhear your talk earlier," the woman said. "The two of you are headed to Regna Ferox, yes?"

"Uh huh!" Morgan nodded. "Are you going there as well?"

The woman smiled. "Yes, I am. May I travel with the two of you? The roads are often riddled with bandits, and there is safety in numbers."

"Of course!" Marc answered. "My name is Marc, and this is Morgan."

"Hi!" Morgan cheerfully waved her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Marc, Morgan. My name is - "

Morgan and Marc's jaw dropped as they simultaneously realized that the woman standing in front of them wasn't a woman at all.

" - Libra, a Shepherd."

* * *

"…this is…quite unexpected…"

"…I agree…"

"Were they always this weak? Or were we just not that strong in our time?"

"I think both…"

Robin and Reina were both standing on one of the Port Ferox's many docks. Out in the distance, the Valmese fleet had come to a stop, unable to reach the port. The reason why as to why they couldn't reach the port was because the entire bay was frozen over due to the efforts of Robin and Reina.

The Valmese fleet had first been spotted over an hour ago. The Khans of Ferox had taken the Feroxi fleet and lured the majority of the Valmese fleet elsewhere while the Valmese flagship continued to make their way to port accompanied by half a dozen other vessels. Before they even got close, Robin and Reina had cast ice magic over the water, freezing it solid and with it, the Valmese fleet.

When the Valmese soldiers attempted to make their way over on foot over the ice, they didn't make it far. The Shepherds and a group of Flavia's best men were stationed at the port. The archers and mages had no problem picking off any member of the Valmese fleet who jumped off their ships. Not long after that, Robin and Reina gathered the mages to create a powerful fireball, igniting the seven warships on fire.

"If only we knew of ice magic in our time," Reina muttered. "It'd have helped out so much."

The initial invasion force of Walhart the Conqueror, said to be the strongest fighting force in the world, was annihilated by a small group of less than a hundred fighters in under an hour.

"Alrighty then." Robin dusted himself off. "That was anticlimactic, but if we're done here, I'll be heading back now. Chrom?"

Robin looked over at the prince, who was staring at the sinking Valmese fleet in half shock and half stupor alongside his wife.

"Chrom." Robin repeated, waving his hand in front of his friend's face.

"Y-yeah…" Chrom muttered before turning to address his men. "Today, we - ah, forget it… You all saw what just happened. I was planning on a small speech before and after the fight, but…" Chrom pinched the bridge of his nose. "I honestly don't see the point in doing so. You're all dismissed!"

The Feroxi and Shepherds all left the port, scattering into small groups of three and four. Chrom honestly didn't know what to do. He expected the repulsion of the Valmese fleet to take the better part of the day, but now that it was over, he was at a loss. Cordelia looked like she was about to say something when a voice called out from behind them.

"Milord!"

Chrom turned around to see Frederick gallop over on his horse, his face grim.

"There's word of a village under attack from bandits," Frederick promptly said.

This was perfect. The pent up energy that Chrom built up in anticipation of the Valmese fleet would be used to help the village.

"Gather the Shepherds and meet at the town square in fifteen," Chrom ordered.

"Milord? May I suggest that we leave some of Shepherds here?" Frederick asked.

"… alright," Chrom nodded. "I'll find Robin and Reina. Can you find Vaike and Gregor?"

"At once."

Cordelia wrapped her hand around Chrom's. Squeezing her hand in return, Chrom gave his wife a small smile.

"Let's go find our tacticians."

"No need," Cordelia said, motioning to Chrom's left.

Robin and Reina were making their way back to the port's entrance. Miriel and Ricken were walking alongside them, and the four, rather the front two, seemed to be in a heated discussion. Ricken and Miriel were listening intently with the latter jotting everything she could into her notebook.

"I'm telling you that wouldn't have worked!" Robin exclaimed.

"How do you think I killed _Father?_ " Reina huffed. "We could've kept our mana input to a minimum had we created spikes from the frozen water!"

"You're comparing magic on completely different scales! It's like comparing _Fire_ to _Valflame_!"

"It's the same concept! How difficult could it be!"

"Pretty difficult for those who aren't adept in ice magic, I can say that much."

Maybe it was Chrom's imagination, but he could've sworn he saw sparks fly in the space between the center of Robin and Reina's gazes. Sighing, he intervened before things got more out of hand than it already was.

"Robin, Reina, please stop arguing," Chrom sighed.

"It's not an argument if I'm right," Robin declared.

"What?!" Reina crossed her arms. "What do you mean 'you're right'? You're obviously in the wrong!"

"Am not!"

"It's like watching a sibling squabble, only worse," Chrom groaned.

"We are NOT siblings!" The both of them shot Chrom a glare simultaneously.

"I never said you were," Chrom said. "Merely that it was like watching one. Anyways, get ready to leave. Bandits are attacking a nearby village."

"Oh, sounds like fun!" Reina immediately perked up.

Reina's tone made it sound as if they were going for a casual walk instead of fighting off bandits, causing Chrom to smile a little. Bidding Miriel and Ricken farewell, the four of them walked off towards the town square of Port Ferox where they met Gregor, Vaike, and Frederick, the latter not having his usual steed.

"Robin!" Vaike yelled. "Long time to see!"

Calmly raising his hand, Robin caught Vaike's greeting that was in the form of a fist.

"Indeed, it has," Robin replied with an icy grin as he folded his fingers around Vaike's hand in a vice-grip.

Vaike let out a yelp of pain as he jumped back as he held his hand with his other arm.

"Vaike's fist, meet Robin's lightning," Robin smirked. "Though I must admit, you've gotten stronger. That one actually stung a little."

"Ha! That's the Teach for ya!" Vaike proudly exclaimed.

"Young Robin!" Gregor walked up and wrapped his arms around Robin in a bear hug. "Gregor miss tactician!" Looking over at Reina, Gregor grinned. "And young Robin's sister, of course!"

A small whirlwind of ice swirled around Reina as she glared daggers at Gregor.

"Oi oi, halt with the scary face!" Gregor raised his hand in an attempt to appease Reina. "Gregor only making joke since Reina look much like young Robin here."

Reina's mini snowstorm slowed to a stop as Cordelia let out a small laugh.

"To be fair, Reina, if one didn't know any better, they'd think that you two really are siblings," Cordelia said. "Twins, in fact."

"Not you too, Cor," Reina groaned, rubbing her temples.

"Sorry sorry," Cordelia laughed.

"We can talk along the way," Frederick interrupted. "The village can't defend themselves forever."

"Ever the killjoy…" Reina muttered.

Nonetheless, the group complied with Frederick's suggestion and headed towards the village.

 _. . ._

"Alright, so how do we go about this?" Chrom asked Robin.

"Why are you asking me?"

"You're the tactician."

"…right…uhh…"

After a couple hours of walking, the group minus Cordelia arrived at the village that was being attacked by bandits. Cordelia had offered to stay behind to keep a watch over things while the tacticians and prince were away.

The villagers were smart enough to block off the village gates, but judging from the iron gate that was broken down, the bandits must've forced their way inside. The houses that were near the entrance to the village were already burnt to cinders, which begged the question: were bandits pyromaniacs? They seemed to have a knack for lighting villages and towns on fire.

Up ahead, the road split into a two-way fork, one heading left and the other right.

"Chrom, take Gregor and Vaike and take the right side." Reina spoke up in Robin's silence. "Robin, Frederick, and I will take the left. We have two objectives: one, rout the bandits, and two, save the captured villagers."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "How are you so sure that the bandits would take villagers alive? They've already killed a bunch of them here."

Chrom angrily waved his hand in front of him, motioning at the large street in front of him. Dozens of dead bodies were scattered around the village street. Some were crudely beheaded while others had a bloody torso. The bodies of the innocent clearly angered Chrom, who valued life greatly.

"Peace, Chrom," Reina calmly said. "Look closely; even though it looks like the bandits killed indiscriminately, there aren't any corpses of women, or children, for that matter."

Chrom's eyes widened as he saw what Reina said was true.

"Going off of our past encounters with brigands and bandits, the children will most likely be sold as slaves," Reina grimly said. "As for the women…"

Reina didn't finish her line as she grit her teeth, but everyone knew what she was going to say.

"Alright." Chrom drew Falchion. "Proceed as Reina planned."

Taking the left fork, Reina drew her sword, Rakuyo. Swiftly detaching it into dual swords, Reina took the lead as Robin and Frederick followed a few steps behind. The first group of bandits, six in total, were spotted early on.

No communication was necessary as the three Shepherds moved together. Frederick threw his spear, impaling one of the bandits through the back. Robin sent out a quick burst of _Elwind_ , slicing three of the bandits in two, and Reina swiftly plunged her blades into the necks of the remaining two. The bandits hit the floor before they even knew they were dead and the Shepherds continued forward without a second glace.

"Strange…" Robin muttered as they continued through the village.

"What is?" Reina asked.

"Those bandits were already weakened before we even arrived," Robin said.

"I've taken notice of that as well," Frederick added. "Two of them were wounded while another had his arm in a cast."

"Maybe some of the villagers fought back," Reina replied, peeking around a corner.

"Unlikely. There was a lack of weapons and villagers in the vicinity," Frederick said.

Robin sighed. "Let's stay on our toes. I've a - "

*CRASH*

A hulking mass of rotten purple flesh with glowing red eyes burst through one of the houses in front of them.

" - bad feeling. Bad feeling confirmed. Gods dammit…"

"Risen?! Here?" Frederick cried out. "But how?"

"Never mind that!" Reina enhanced her blades with fire magic. "Let's take that thing down!"

The large Risen took notice of their approach. Its red eyes shone brighter for a second before it charged down the street at a speed that caught both Robin and Frederick off guard. But for Reina, it was running at a snail's pace compared to the speed _Father_ moved at.

Sliding between the Risen's legs, Reina spun on her toes as her blades sliced apart the Risen's ankles. Roaring, the Risen crashed onto its knees. Coating his arm in lightning, Robin plunged his fist through the Risen's chest before releasing a powerful shockwave inside its body. Purple smoke started billowing from every orifice of the Risen, including the two new holes made when Frederick sent his spear cleanly through the Risen's skull. The two red lights dimmed and the Risen crumbled into dust.

"Nasty," Robin grumbled, flicking his arm free of the undead's grime. "Never doing that again…"

"Stay alert. Where one Risen is, more are sure to follow," Frederick warned.

"Right as usual, Frederick," Robin sighed.

The group continued onward, dispatching bandits and Risen alike with ease. The bandits were not well trained, nor did they coordinate with one another. The Shepherds, on the other hand, were not lacking in coordination as they moved as one unit.

The Risen were surprisingly a little more difficult than expected. Normally, the undead would scramble forward as they mindlessly attacked anything in their sights. But these Risen acted a little more reserved than normal, with some groups showing the smallest hints of using strategy.

"Woah!"

Robin let out a surprised yelp as he narrowly avoided a Risen's spear. Since when did Risen learn to throw their spears? Frying the spear-throwing Risen with a bolt of lightning, Robin tilted his head to the left just as Reina sent a icicle past the spot where his head was a second ago, piercing a Risen archer right between its eyes.

"You almost hit me with that," Robin said to Reina.

"Oh, stop being such a pansy," Reina retorted.

"I could've died had I not dodged!"

"But you knew it was coming."

As poor Frederick suffered through their bickering, things were a little better on Chrom's side. They had just finished dealing with the current group of bandits that they engaged. Flicking his blade free of blood, Chrom turned to his companions.

"You two alright?" Chrom asked.

"Ha! Never better, ol'buddy!" Vaike laughed, bringing his axe up on his shoulder. "These guys are a piece of cake compared to Gregor and Basilio!"

Chrom frowned. "You fought Basilio?"

"Sure did!" Vaike grinned. "Almost had him, too!"

Chrom raised a questioning eyebrow at Gregor, who pitifully shook his head.

"Each session last only a few seconds before Vaike falls on rear end," Gregor explained.

"Ah, now that is believable," Chrom said.

"Wuzzat?" Vaike glowered at Chrom.

Before Chrom could reply, one of the nearby doors was broken down with what looked to be the leader of the bandits stepping out. He had short, spiky blond hair held back by a dirty green bandana. He had on a matching green shirt with leather armor with a metal pauldron strapped onto his shoulder.

"The hell is going on here?" The bandit growled, looking at his dead men and Shepherds. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Just passerbys," Gregor simply answered. "We're looking for lost sheep."

The bandit narrowed his eyes. "What kind of sheep herders carry around weapons?"

"Look, buddy," Vaike impatiently waved his axe in front of him. "You the leader here or what?"

"Playin' hero now, are ya?" The bandit took out a large axe of his own. "You think you can stand up to Batta the Beast?"

 _|| Far away, in an alternate world and universe, a man and woman were sitting down by a small bonfire in the ruins of an old shrine… ||_

"Achoo!"

Next to her, a white haired man in a black coat furrowed his eyes in concern. "Lyn? Are you alright?" he asked. "You didn't catch a cold, did you?"

Lyn laughed. "I'm fine, Robin. Just a sneeze, though I was reminiscing on the past."

"About what?"

"It was the first time when Mark and I fought together to fend off some bandits," Lyn recalled. "I found him unconscious in a field one day. Not wanting to leave him there, I took him to my home. After he woke up, bandits attacked, and Mark's insight made it easy for me to fight them off."

Robin laughed. "That sounds very similar to what happened to me."

Lyn smiled. "I remember the bandit leader. He was so confident when he introduced himself." Clearing her throat, she deepened her voice in an imitation of the bandit. " ' _You think you can stand up to Batta the Beast?'_ he said."

"Heh, we've both come a long way from fighting bandits," Robin chuckled. looking around him. "Especially since we've somehow been brought to this place."

"All the more reason to figure out how to leave, right?" Lyn said, standing up.

Standing up as well, Robin stretched his arms. "Yup. Let's go!"

 _|| Back to the Another Awakening's world… ||_

"Batte the Beast?" Vaike scoffed. "What a stupid name!"

A vein could be seen popping out from Batta's forehead. He made a swing at Vaike when a handaxe suddenly sprouted from his chest, much to everyone's surprise.

"What?" Batta stared down at the axe embedded in his chest in disbelief. "How…how did you -?" He died in disbelief, crumpling to the ground.

"Prince Chrom!" A serene voice called out from behind the Shepherds.

Chrom turned around to see a familiar face and two unfamiliar-yet-still-somehow-familiar faces.

"Libra! It's good to see you well!" Chrom greeted the priest.

"And you as well." Libra returned the greeting with a pleasant smile.

"And who might these two be?" Chrom looked at the two young adults by Libra's side.

"Hi, I'm Morgan!" Morgan cheerfully waved her hand before pointing at the boy. "And that's Marc!"

Libra gently placed a hand on both their shoulders before speaking again. "I found them as I was leaving Ylisstol. They were heading to Regna Ferox, and since all Shepherds were to rendezvous here, I thought it fitting that we travel together."

"Pleasure to meet you two," Chrom said to Morgan and Marc. Though he didn't say it, seeing the two reminded him of a certain duo…

"Little Morgan and Marc look like young Robin and Reina, no?" Gregor said exactly what was on Chrom's mind.

"You know them?" Morgan gasped.

"Sure do, kiddo!" Vaike grinned. "They're our tacticians, after all!"

Chrom smiled at the two. "I take it that you're familiar with Robin and Reina? Your cloaks are very similar to theirs."

Morgan and Marc beamed. What they said next caused something in Chrom's head to shatter into a million pieces.

 _. . ._

*C-C-CRACK* *C-CRACK* "Ahhhhh~…"

"Such actions cannot be good for your body."

"Oh, don't get your smallclothes in a mix, Frederick. Once every now and then can't be that bad."

*CRACK*

Frederick winced as Robin's knuckles made a loud cracking noise. He then turned away when said tactician rolled his neck around, causing many more popping sounds to reverberate through the air.

"So, was that the last of them?" Reina asked from beside Robin. "Normally, after killing the usual giant Risen, they stop coming, but I don't want to jinx anything."

"You know…" Robin let out an exasperated sigh. "Just because you said that, a group of Risen is going to appear. Calling it now."

Frederick frowned. "Surely not. I do not see anything that looks related to the Risen anywhere around our vicinity."

"Alright, make that a group of Risen accompanied by a few chieftains…"

"Robin, don't be ridiculous," Reina scolded. "That's not going to happen."

"Yeah, it's not," Robin muttered. "Because now some sort of superboss of a Risen is going to appear…"

Reina opened her mouth to make a retort when a chill ran down each one of their spines. The three Shepherds immediately grouped up with their weapons drawn. From the street to their right, a lone figure walked forward through a plume of smoke.

The first thing Robin noticed was his armor. It wasn't traditional armor worn by the knights of Ylisse, nor was it like the ones worn by the Feroxi nor the Valmese. It was a simple grey chestplate that only covered his torso, leaving the arms exposed from the shoulders down. Instead of the usual plating to cover their legs, the warrior only wore a set of greaves, leaving his thighs open, and his gauntlets stopped just below his elbows. On his left arm was a circular shield, roughly half the man's height, with a small opening on one end. A sword, similar in design to the standard bronze swords that were commonplace in Ylisse, was strapped to his side and in his hand was a spear.

What caught Robin's interest the most was his helmet. It was a solid piece of steel without any sort of visor. A triangular opening was in the center of the helmet, giving way for his eyes to see. A plume of black feathers was placed at the top of his helmet, signifying that he was a warrior of high standing.

"I called it. I called it and you can't say anything otherwise," Robin grumbled.

"Who are you?" Ignoring Robin, Frederick leveled his spear at the unknown warrior.

The man remained silent as he slowed to a still. Slowly, the man raised his shield. His eyes were visible just above the shield's edges and his spear was placed on the groove of the shield.

"Very well, if that is your answer, then I shall comply," Frederick said.

"Wait," Robin cautioned, but Frederick didn't heed Robin's warning.

"Do not interfere," Frederick firmly said, lunging forward.

 _I'll step in if it's needed to stop you from dying,_ Robin thought to himself.

Frederick's strength was nothing to be laughed at. Although he never showed off his physical prowess, Robin knew that he could easily overpower Chrom and most of the Shepherds through sheer strength alone. But when the knight's spear collided with the center of the man's shield, the man shrugged the blow off as if it was nothing.

Frederick tilted his body sideways just as the man thrust his spear forward from behind his shield. As the man's spear harmlessly passed Frederick, he sent out a powerful kick on the shield, forcing the man to slide backwards from the force. As Frederick stepped in for another blow, the man spun on his foot before he stopped sliding, swinging his spear around from his left. Frederick ducked underneath the spear, the spear sailing over his head as the knight prepared to strike once more.

Robin raised an eyebrow when Frederick was forced to raise his arm up just as the man swung his shield sideways, slamming the edge of the shield into Frederick's arm. The man's fighting style was quite unorthodox, yet every movement seemed to be natural, flowing together as if he'd been fighting in that manner all his life.

Frederick stumbled back, the metal plating on his gauntlet cracked from the shield's blow. Before Frederick was able to catch his breath the man moved forward. He made a couple of short hops in a zig-zag motion to throw off the knight before his spear was thrust forward at an angle, which Frederick dodged just in time.

Walking a semi-circle around Frederick, the man stepped in from the right. Frederick raised his guard, only to have the man throw a feint. Momentarily vanishing from their view, the man reappeared in the air to Frederick unguarded side, his spear held in a reverse grip as he swung his arm backwards. His spear pierced through Frederick's shoulder, and before the man started falling, he twisted his body as his leg slammed into the side of Frederick's head, sending the knight crashing to the ground.

"Frederick!" Reina yelled out.

Robin fully expected the man to finish off the downed knight, but to both his and Reina's surprise, the man calmly stepped away from Frederick. Reina cautiously approached Frederick as Robin readied himself to jump in at a moment's notice. Further adding to his confusion, the man did nothing and Reina helped Frederick to his feet.

From behind Robin, a multitude of footsteps could be heard approaching. The man also heard this as he looked right into Robin's eyes.

"Who…who are you?" Robin asked.

"…I am now called Equus, a Deadlord," Equus said. As he introduced himself, a dark energy swirled around Equus as his eyes flashed red like every other Risen. The only difference was that he didn't have the usual purple skin that the Risen normally did.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "You said that you're ' _now called Equus'._ "

Equus nodded. "In a past life, I was known as Achilles, son of Peleus." He turned around. "May we meet again."

Robin could only watch as the dark energy enveloped Equus. Then the energy vanished, taking Equus along with him.

 _. . ._

Once Chrom and his group caught up to Robin's group, they briefed each other on what happened. Chrom's face turned dark as Robin and Reina finished telling the events that took place recently.

"A Deadlord… you're certain?"

"Yes, Chrom," Robin sighed. "Hundred percent."

"It also explains why the Risen here were stronger than the ones we're used to facing," Reina added.

Chrom shook his head. "This is grave news, Robin. The Deadlords are - "

" - souls of the dead that were heralded as the strongest of all time, I know," Robin finished. "It even goes to show since Frederick was tossed around as Equus's plaything."

Chrom looked at Frederick, who was looking better thanks to the effects of a vulnerary. Turning back to Robin and Reina, he smiled slyly. "We'll talk of this later, but for now, I'd like to introduce you to a couple of new arrivals."

"New arrivals?" Reina wondered as two children walked up.

Both Reina and Robin's eyes widened when he saw the two that Chrom was referring to. They looked to be no older than maybe seventeen or eighteen. The boy had dark hair, while the girl's was a navy blue, not unlike Chrom's. What shocked the two tacticians wasn't their physical features, but rather, the cloak that they were wearing. The very cloak that Robin and Reina was wearing at the moment, to be exact.

"Mother!" "Father!"

"Huh?"

The boy ran up to Reina as the girl performed a leaping hug at Robin, leveling him to the ground.

"HUH?!"

* * *

 **Scene!**

 **Yes yes, I know Achilles has nothing to do with Fire Emblem. But I love Greek mythology, so I couldn't resist. Another change to the Deadlord(s) is that I won't be giving them the standard Risen look of purple skin and red eyes.**

 **Heavy inspiration from the Achilles vs Hector scene from the movie Troy when writing out my Achilles vs Frederick scene.**

 **Also, enter Cherche, the woman that I always, ALWAYS, wife in Awakening. I still remember my very first playthrough. My MU was married to Cordelia, and the second after Cherche's introduction scene, the inner me was like "WIFE HER!". So I made a new game and did.**

 **As to why this isn't a RobinXCherche story (sadly)? Dunno. Why isn't it my a FanFic of my favorite pairing? What the hell, me? I've half a mind to make this a RobinXCherche FanFic. Wouldn't be difficult either. Just a single edit of Morgan's hair color since I only mentioned it once, and done! I haven't cemented Robin's relationship with anyone either, so even less work.**

 **Lastly, Robin and Reina finally meet Marc and Morgan! Woo!**

 **Also, some shameless advertising/reference to my other story, A Myriad of Worlds. That and Batta the Beast.**

 **And that's all for now! See you in the next!**


	23. (XXII) Healthy Competition

Robin was a tactician. He was a tactician for as long as he could remember, albeit only being a few years after being found unconscious and suffering from amnesia. As a tactician, it was his job to remain calm in all situations. It was something that he prided himself in. Years of constant battle through countless life and death situations tempered his brain to be able to make calculated decisions on the fly.

An enemy ambush? Easy. Traveling through time and worlds? No problem. Realizing that he has an alter-ego that was named Alternis inside of his head? Piece of cake. Coming across his other-worldly female counterpart? Done. Having a young girl wearing his exact cloak while tackling him to the ground yelling "FATHER!"? Nope. Robin's intelligent brain stopped being intelligent.

"Father! It's really you!" The girl cried into his chest.

Robin was at a loss. Many times he opened his mouth to speak only to close them as no words formed on his tongue. The only thing that he managed to do was make a guttural sound from his throat.

"Father?" The girl looked up with worry visible in her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

Robin looked over at Reina for help, only to find that she was in a very similar situation as she held the boy in her arms. He looked over at Chrom, who merely gave him an evil smirk before turning his back on the tactician.

"N-nothing's wrong," Robin managed to get out. "Actually, no, a lot of things are wrong." Sitting up, he stared into the girl's eyes. He could've sworn she looked familiar, but just couldn't place the name to the face. "First off, it's obvious that you know who I am, but I've never seen you before in my life. You called me 'Father', but I'm not even married."

The girl frowned. The moment the girl's eyes looked away, a pang of guilt shot through Robin's heart. He never met the girl, but every fiber in his being was reprimanding him for making the girl sad.

"Sorry, I didn't - " Robin let out a sigh. "I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, quite literally, since you toppled me over. Can we start over with introductions?"

The girl's eyes brightened up, and so did Robin's mood.

"I'm sure you already know, but I'm Robin," Robin smiled warmly at the girl seated in front of him. "May I get yours?"

"I'm Morgan!" Morgan beamed. "Daughter to the greatest tactician that ever lived!"

"That title of 'greatest tactician' is still debatable!" the boy called out from Reina's side.

Ignoring the boy, Robin turned to Morgan, wistfully smiling. In the past, he decided that if he ever had a daughter, he'd name her Morgan. "You called me your father just now, right?"

"Yeah!" Morgan nodded. "I don't remember much, but I do remember your face and almost everything about you! Like how…" Morgan reached inside her coat, pulling out a small book. "…how you gave me this!"

Robin's eyes widened when he saw the book. Gingerly taking the book from Morgan's hands, he looked at the cover. The leather cover was terribly worn down, but he was still able to read the title, _"Beginner's Guide to Strategies"._

"No way…" Robin muttered. "This…this is the same as…but that's impossible…"

Reaching into his cloak, Robin pulled out his own copy of the book. Looking at them side by side, Robin looked for any differences between the two aside from the damage done by time. Slowly opening Morgan's copy, his eyes widened further as he recognized the dog-ears and scribbles on the pages. There were three distinct penmanship styles on some of the pages, two he recognized and the third was unknown to him, most likely Morgan's. Opening his own book to the same page, Robin found the exact same hand-written notes on the pages, but the third penmanship's style was missing.

"Father?" Morgan's voice shook Robin's out of his stupor.

Robin looked back up at Morgan. Then down at her cloak. Robin didn't even have to feel it to know it was his. The magic that he infused into the cloth still resonated with him, and it was the same feeling as he got from his own cloak. There was none other like it, yet here was another version of his cloak.

"Ha…ha haa…"

"Father? Are you alright?" Morgan asked.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Robin said with a wave of his hand.

Morgan slightly tilted her head in a very similar manner to how he would. "But you're crying."

"Eh?" Reaching up, Robin felt a wetness on his cheeks and eyes. Wiping them away, he smiled at Morgan. "Sorry, I didn't mean to. I just never thought I'd be blessed with…" Taking in a deep breath, he peered into her bright eyes. "You truly are my daughter, aren't you."

The effect his words took on the girl were instantaneous. Morgan's eyes widened as tears started to well up in her eyes as well.

"Father!" Morgan cried out, jumping onto the tactician and sending him to the floor once again. "I-I missed y-you s-so much!"

. . .

"You four doing alright?"

Chrom walked up to the reunited father-daughter and mother-son combo. He had been gone for a minute when he heard Morgan's sobs. Leave Robin alone for a minute with a random girl and he makes her cry. Fantastic.

"Can't say for Reina over there, but Morgan and I are fine," Robin answered. "Just facing the fact that I've a daughter."

"And I, a son," Reina added in, walking over to the three. "Meet Marc, my son from the future."

"Woaah!" Marc exclaimed, his eyes widening as he looked at Robin. "You look a lot like Mother! Are you siblings by any chance?"

"No." "Nope."

Robin and Reina quickly answered without hesitation.

"Wait a moment," Morgan frowned. "What did you mean by, _'...from the future'_?"

Reina curiously looked over at Morgan and then to Robin, who gave her a shrug. _'I didn't get to that yet,'_ the shrug said.

"Morgan, believe it or not, you came from a different world and time than the one that we're in right now," Robin explained.

"What?" Morgan laughed. "You must be joking, Father! People can't travel through time! After all, I - ngh!" Morgan suddenly reeled over in pain as she clutched her head.

"Morgan!" Robin quickly caught the girl before she collapsed onto the floor. "Easy - don't try and force your memories. Doing so will only cause pains such as the one that you're feeling right now."

Morgan's breathing slowly evened out as the color came back to her face.

"You okay?" Robin asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Y-yeah," Morgan weakly answered. "But are you telling the truth? About me having come from the future?"

"I don't have a reason to lie to you," Robin replied. "But, seeing how you're my daughter, you probably won't believe me outright, but trust me when I say you're from the future. Reasons being is that one, as I said, I'm not even married, so there's no way for me to have a child, especially one your age, which brings me to my second point. You look to be only a few years younger than I am, and the third reason is that you have the same book and cloak as I do, only they're older."

Morgan frowned, mulling over Robin's words. Then her face lit up and she brightly smiled. "Okay! I believe you!"

Robin blinked. "Wait, just like that?"

"Mhmm!" Morgan happily nodded. "It's not like I have many memories of my own to back me up, and I know that you wouldn't lie to me, Father! You also told me to take things as they are instead of overthinking things."

"Wow, that's…actually something that I would say, huh." Robin scratched the back of his head. "Alright, Morgan, before anything else, I need to ask you something. All I need is a yes or no, and if you can't remember don't strain yourself."

The girl nodded. Taking a deep breath, Robin spoke once more. "Do you remember who your mother is?"

"Of course I - ack!"

"Morgan!" Robin placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's alright."

"No, it's not!" Morgan cried out. "I can't remember what Mother looks like!"

"Morgan!" Robin lightly shook her. "Morgan, look at me."

Morgan's eyes moved up to look at Robin's.

"It's alright if you don't remember," Robin softly said. "Memory loss isn't a new topic for me. In fact, it happened to me twice already."

"Twice?"

"Mhmm, once in my world and the second time in this one. The first time it was because Validar stole my memories, so I never got them back. The second time was because of the strain of being forces to a different world in a near-death state, I think. I did, however, manage to regain my memories, though it took a significant mental shock for it to happen."

"So…does this mean that I'll get my memories back?" Morgan hopefully asked.

"That's right." Robin nodded. "It may not happen immediately, but I'm sure you'll slowly regain them. Even if you don't, you can make new ones in place of the old ones. After all, that's what I did."

"…okay, Father," Morgan slowly nodded.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day that you say words of wisdom," Chrom jokingly said.

"Pay attention and maybe you'll learn something as you listen," Robin retorted. "We all know you can use some more intelligence."

Chrom opened his mouth, then immediately closed it when he couldn't find the words to reply. Then something small and white hit him in the face.

"What the - Reina, why?" Chrom sputtered as he shook his hair free of snow.

"Thought you'd want some snow for that burn," Reina smirked. Opening her hand, she created another snowball. "Need another?"

"No thanks," Chrom quickly replied. Dusting the last bit of snow off his shoulder, he looked back at Robin and Morgan. "Ready to head out?"

Robin looked over at his daughter, who simply gave a nod in reply.

"Yeah, we're good to go," Robin confirmed.

As the newly formed party started to make their way out of the village, they were stopped by some of the village survivors. They desperately wanted the Shepherds to stay for the remainder of the day to rest, but Frederick declined before anyone else spoke up. The sun was still high in the sky and they had to return to Port Ferox as soon as they could.

"I'm getting a strange sense of deja vu," Robin whispered to Chrom. "Didn't something like this happen before? I remember Frederick turning down the offers of a village that we rescued a while back."

"Yeah, he did," Chrom said under his breath. "Back at Southtown, right?"

"Only this time we don't have the younger sister of a certain lord here to complain to our stoic knight," Robin snickered.

Chrom laughed, earning him a frown from Frederick. "Lissa was quite adamant on staying that day, wasn't she? It's a wonder how Frederick managed to bring her away."

"Well, the threat of leaving her there along while the three of us continued on our way to Ylisstol was quite persuasive," Robin replied.

"Twas no threat," Frederick said as he joined the rest of the waiting Shepherds. "It was merely a statement as to our plans if milady was to stay the night in Southtown."

"Sure sure, I believe you," Robin said with a wave of his hand.

Frederick's back stiffened. "Your tone speaks otherwise."

"I guarantee you that it is merely your imagination, Sir Frederick," Robin smirked. "Now, shall we get going? We're burning daylight."

"Very well," Frederick curtly replied. Signaling for the rest of the Shepherds to leave, he turned to mount his -

"Hold! One moment!" Robin suddenly raised his hand at Frederick. "This has been bugging me ever since I've arrived in this world. Seriously, Frederick, where the hell does your horse keep appearing from?!"

"What do you mean?" Frederick frowned from atop his horse.

"You know very well what I mean," Robin said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "One second, you're on your feet with your horse nowhere in sight, and the next, you're either on your horse or it appears right next to you."

"I assure you my horse has been with me this entire time."

"That's bullsh- you walked, and need I repeat myself, WALKED here from Port Ferox and fought those bandits and Risen on foot, not on horseback!"

Apparently, Frederick was a Grade-A actor as he raised an eyebrow in a very convincing manner.

"Robin, are you unwell?" Frederick asked. "Have you not been getting enough rest as of late?"

"You're mocking me…"

At this point, the rest of the Shepherds were far ahead of them as Chrom placed his hand on Robin's shoulder. Waving the knight off, Chrom lightly urged Robin forward.

"I recommend that you give it a rest," Chrom advised.

"Wha- but - Frederick! Horse!" Robin sputtered, frantically pointing at Frederick's back.

"Trust me, I know," Chrom dejectedly sighed. "I've known him all my life, and I can tell you this; Frederick's horse is an enigma. I've honestly stopped questioning it on how it magically appears next to him when it wasn't there before many years ago."

"Wait, so you agree with me that - "

"Yes, I do," Chrom cut in. "And once again, I recommend that you stop questioning it else you'll go insane. Just…just take things as they are, right? Isn't that what Morgan said?"

Robin groaned. "Using the words that my daughter said that she learned from me against me…that's low, Chrom."

Chrom laughed, shaking Robin's shoulder. "Speaking of Morgan, you should go talk to her."

"If only you had a daughter of your own that came back from the future, Chrom. I might have invited you to join us in family talk," Robin smirked, knowing full well that Chrom's daughters from the future has been with them for years now.

"I already have a baby daughter waiting for me back in Ylisstol," Chrom reminded him.

"That's different!" Robin yelled as he ran ahead.

As he watched Robin's back, Chrom couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever get a chance to meet his child from the future. Little did he know that he already met both his future daughters.

 _. . ._

* * *

 _. . ._

"Why's it always so cold here…" Robin muttered, shivering in his coat.

The Shepherds arrived in Regna Ferox fifteen minutes ago. Gregor and Vaike both left to grab some drinks in a local tavern and Chrom was immediately whisked away by a worried Cordelia.

"Frederick, a request?" Robin called out to the knight.

"Yes, Robin?" Frederick leapt off his horse.

"Can you find Marth and her friends and tell them that I wish to speak with them?" Robin asked. "If they ask where, tell Marth that she'll know the room I'm talking about. She'll understand."

"As you wish," Frederick replied with a small nod of his head.

Frederick walked off with Libra in the direction of the stables as Robin rolled his neck.

"I'm pretty sure I already know what's on your mind, but I'll ask anyway." Reina walked up next to Robin with Morgan and Marc not far behind. "What was that about?"

Robin sighed. "Morgan and Marc didn't exist in Lucina's world, nor did they exist in ours."

"Uh huh, I've deduced that much already," Reina said. "I take it that you're not simply calling them just to introduce them to Marc and Morgan?"

"Correct," Robin answered. "You remember what the kids said while we were on our way back? About how they arrived here?"

Reina's expression changed to one full of sadness and remorse.

"I'm afraid that there may be a chance that the rest of Lucina's friends that we've yet to meet have gone or may still be going through that same experience."

"…Alright," Reina said after a moment of silence.

Looking over his shoulder at Reina's son and his daughter, Robin called out to them.

"Morgan, Marc, let's head inside. I'm freezing out here."

Inside the halls of Ferox wasn't much different from the outside. It was still cold, but just manageable thanks to the lack of wind. A multitude of torches were lit along the stone walls of the corridors, relieving them of the cold bite of the temperature ever so slightly. Robin was at least able to feel his fingers, which was a start.

After leading the other three through the labyrinth of hallways, they finally stopped at a room at the end of one hallway.

"Here again?" Reina dryly laughed. "I'm getting all nostalgic."

Opening the door, Reina stepped inside. It was the very room where Robin had met up with Lucina after the fight in the Arena, and the room where Reina was first introduced to Lucina. Quite violently, in fact.

"I figured it'd be the best place," Robin explained, ushering Morgan and Marc inside. "We'd need permission to use the war room, which I'm sure Flavia wouldn't mind us using, but this is just a simpler solution. Besides, Lucina knows where this room is, so no harm done."

"I suppose." Reina took a seat on the side of the bed as Robin closed the door.

After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door and Lucina walked in with the other time-travelers in tow.

"Heya," Robin lightly greeted them with a small wave of his hand.

Lucina returned the greeting as she looked at the occupants of the room. If she had any questions, which she most likely did about the two new individuals, she didn't say anything as she took a seat.

Severa crossed her arms. "This better be important. I was just about to go shopping."

"Perhaps it has something to do with this new young lad and young beauty?" Inigo smoothly said, eyeing Morgan.

 _If he even TOUCHES Morgan, I will make his life a living hell_ , Robin vowed to himself.

"That's half of the reason why I called you five here," Robin said. "I'd like you to meet Morgan and Marc. Morgan, Marc, meet Lucina, Severa, Owain, Inigo, and Cynthia." Robin motioned over to each of them in turn.

"Hi!" Morgan beamed as she waved her hand excitedly.

"Pleasure to meet you," Marc smiled.

"The pleasure is ours," Lucina politely replied.

"Now that we have the introductions out of the way, do you mind telling us why you called us?" Severa huffed. "Don't tell me that they're your kids from the future."

"Actually, that's precisely it," Robin calmly replied.

"Then, who are they - " Severa's mouth stopped moving as she froze in place. The other four were also frozen in shock, with only their eyes moving back and forth between Morgan and Marc.

"What."

"Marc is my son from the future, albeit a different world from yours," Reina explained. "While Morgan is Robin's daughter."

"WHAT?!"

"OMIGOSH!" Cynthia squealed. "No way!"

"How is this possible?" Lucina was once again wearing a very good poker face despite her internal turmoil. Robin remained unwed in her world, and the same was for Reina in her's.

"Time travel," Robin simply said.

"Wait wait wait wait!" Severa slammed her hands down on the table. "This doesn't make any sense! First off, there was never a Morgan in our time, and second, how are you sure that they're your kids!"

"The only explanation that I can give is the multiverse theory," Robin calmly explained. "Just as I came from one world and Reina from another, Morgan and Marc each came from their own worlds. It wouldn't be the strangest thing to happen to us, to be honest. We're all time travelers here.  
"As for your second question…it's just a gut feeling."

"Are you serious? _'…a gut feeling'_?" Severa scoffed.

Robin shrugged. "To be fair, that's the basis for a LOT of my plans and tactics."

"They also carry our belongings," Reina added. "As you've surely noticed, Morgan and Marc are wearing replicas of our coats."

"So? That doesn't prove anything. They could've just bought it at a shop somewhere."

"Severa, the cloaks that Reina and I possess are unique. You can't get them in shops," Robin softly said. "I've layered mine with a very certain magic, making it very resilient to most forms of damage. The very magic that I placed on my own cloak is also on the one that Morgan wearing. I'd recognize my own work."

"As for mine, I had mine slightly altered from a hunter's village not too long ago," Reina said. "The very same alterations are on Marc's."

Severa still looked like she wanted to say something but Robin raised his hand to cut her off.

"Anyways, introducing you to each other was only one reason why I called you here." Robin leaned back on his chair as he cracked one of his fingers. "The second reason concerns the rest of your friends that we've yet to encounter."

Each of their postures noticeably stiffened at the mention of their friends.

"Morgan, if you would," Robin looked at his daughter, motioning for her to speak.

"Okay!" Morgan chirped. "Hi, I'm Morgan! Nice to meet you all!"

"Morgan, we've already gone through introductions," Robin reminded her.

Morgan blinked. "Oh yeah, we did!" Morgan brightly laughed. "So, I'm from the future, or at least, one of them. I don't remember much from it since I'm missing most of my memories. Oh well! Anyways - "

"I'm sorry to interrupt you like this, but you lost your memories?" Lucina asked.

"Yup! But I do remember some things, like my father! Well, mostly him," Morgan replied. "But anyways, from what I can remember, I left my world when I was…thirteen? Yeah, I think thirteen. And it took me two years to arrive here, and two years of searching for father, which makes me seventeen years old!"

"Wait, what?!" Lucina cried out. "Two years for time travel?"

"Peace, Lucina," Robin coaxed. "Questions can come a little later, but now, you'll need to hear the rest of Morgan's story."

Lucina reluctantly nodded, allowing Morgan to continue.

"The last thing that I remember from my world is walking through a biiiig portal," Morgan said, straining the word 'big' to exaggerate her point. "And then I'm in some sort of void. I couldn't see anything nor could I hear anything. It was just…darkness." Morgan then fell silent as she shuddered, remembering her experience.

"Perhaps I should take over from here?" Marc suggested. "I did go through a very similar experience as Morgan, so I can continue for her."

"Please," Robin said. Seeing Morgan struggle with her past pained Robin, and he was thankful to Marc for taking over.

"While I was stuck in that void, all I could do was walk," Marc started, folding his hands. "I didn't know where I was going, or if I was even moving at all, but I was the only thing I could do. After some amount of time, the void was replaced by a lush plain. Rolling green hills, bright blue sky dotted with clouds, a slight breeze, it was like paradise.  
"While there, I continued to walk. I don't know if it was just for that plain or both the plain and the void, but time continued to run there, just…at a slightly faster pace. It was as if someone literally sped up the time two-fold as I watched the sun rise and fall countless times. The only thing I was able to keep track of were the seasons, which was only due to the fact that it snowed, signifying winter.  
"I've talked this over with Morgan when we first met and it was the same for her. We both went through two cycles of winter, meaning two years, before the plain was replaced by that void once more. Once again, I walked, and continued to do so until I started falling. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in some sort of ruin where I run into Morgan. And the rest is history."

Marc took a deep breath as he finished his story. No one said anything as Marc's words sank in.

"But none of us had that experience," Inigo finally said. "The void and the plain, that is."

"Yeah!" Cynthia agreed, nodding her head. "I remember seeing a really cool looking place with a bunch of colorful lights moving back and forth! And the portal! The portal leading outside was like a glass window!"

The other Future-Children nodded as they each recalled a similar journey to the past. None of them had gone through anything close to what Morgan and Marc had gone through.

"I figured as much," Robin sighed. "Morgan, Marc, can you two remember who or what made your portal to the past? If you can't remember, it's alright."

Morgan and Marc both shook their heads. Apparently satisfied with their answer, Robin nodded as he leaned back on his chair.

"Robin, do you know what's going on?" Lucina asked.

"Lucina, come on," Robin chuckled. "We've gone through this before, years ago back at the first village."

Lucina paused for a second, trying to remember what Robin was talking about.

"Ah! I remember now!" Lucina exclaimed as her eyes lit up. "Naga!"

Heads turned to look at Lucina, whose cheeks turned pink from her outburst.

"Right, as Lucina said with such clarity, Naga," Robin smirked. "When you five…," Robin gestured at Lucina, Severa, Cynthia, Owain, and Inigo, "…came to this world, it was with the aid of the Divine Dragon Naga. With her help and portal, you were able to arrive at this world without much of a problem.  
However, that wasn't the case for the four of us. We didn't have any help from a Divine Dragon, which is why each of our journeys through time and worlds was much more…eccentric."

"Morgan, Marc, and Robin each lost their memories," Lucina added. "Robin only regained them after recognizing the Brand in my eye, while Reina managed to keep hers."

"So? What does that have to do with us and our friends?" Severa crossed her arms. She did her best to look cross, Robin had to give her credit for that, but her eyes were wavering.

"Hopefully, it doesn't mean anything," Robin answered. "But there is a chance that your friends may have or may be going through a similar experience that we did. Time travel is a very fickle thing, and we practically know nothing on it aside from speculations based off our own personal experiences."

Silence once again hung in the air. Robin took this opportunity to stretch his arms into the air with multiple popping sounds coming from his spine.

"Well, I've said my part and so has Morgan and Marc," Robin said. "Any questions? …No? Great! I'm gonna go get something to eat. Morgan, would you like to come along? Gods know when you last ate."

With the mention of food, Morgan's mood immediately shot up as she brightly smiled.

"I'll take your smile as a 'Yes'," Robin laughed.

"May I join you two?" Lucina asked. "I would like to get to know your daughter better."

"As do I!" Owain nearly shouted. "It'd be the highest honor to be able to converse with the spawn of a legendary tactician!"

"My dear Owain." Robin's voice turned cold as he addressed the boy. "Did you just call my daughter…a 'spawn'?"

"A-ah - well, you see - I…I've got nothing…" Owain sputtered, lowering his head. "It just came out. I didn't mean it and I'm deeply sorry."

"Hahaha!" Morgan doubled over in laughter. "I don't mind so much, Father! I think his wordplay is actually pretty funny!"

Owain looked as if his heart got shattered into a million pieces. "It…it's not supposed to sound funny…"

"Lighten up," Inigo grinned, patting Owain's back. "We can head to town later. There's this one cafe with a really cute waitress! Marc can tag along as well."

"No thanks," Marc politely turned down Inigo's invitation. "I spotted a bookstore on the way here that I've been wanting to go to this entire time."

"Hmph, since I'm headed to the shopping district, I might accompany you if you wish," Severa said as she tossed her hair behind her.

"Really! Thanks, Severa!" Marc beamed.

"Ooh! Me too, me too!" Cynthia waved her hand in the air.

While everyone in the room was finalizing their plans for the rest of the day, Robin left with Lucina and Morgan, followed by Reina.

"So, what will you be doing?" Robin asked behind him.

"Mm, not sure," Reina admitted. "If all goes well, the Feroxi fleet should be able to fend off the Valmese without too much trouble. I might start a count on our cargo and supplies. That or I'll head to the training floor to practice a little."

"Alright," Robin nodded. "Don't push yourself."

"Ha, take your own advice," Reina laughed. Waving her hand in farewell, she took the first left in the hall.

As Reina walked off, Robin sighed. "I work a little too much once and I never hear the end of it…"

"You to have a tendency to work too much," Lucina noted.

"Coming from you?" Robin joked, playing poking her on the forehead. "I recall you sleeping for thirty hours that one night _and_ day from exhaustion."

"Th-that's different," Lucina bashfully said.

"Is it?"

"Yes."

"I don't think it is."

Morgan watched the two bicker back and forth with a twinkle in her eyes. For some reason, this scene just seemed very familiar to her.

"You two are really close, huh?" Morgan innocently said.

"Quite," Robin said, ruffling Morgan's hair. "By the way, Lucina, when do you want to reveal yourself to Chrom and Cordelia? You're already born in this world, and with your parents already being married, I don't think we'll be risking the existence of Severa."

Lucina mulled the thought over for a few moments before answering.

"I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want to tell them right now," Lucina admitted. "But I'll need to consult Severa about it first because it involves her as well."

"That's reasonable. Though if you are going to, don't forget to have Reina dispel the illusory magic that's concealing your Brand. It'd make it much easier to explain, along with your Falchion."

Lucina moved her hand over her left eye, having forgotten the spell Reina had placed on her over a year ago.

"Oh, by the way, Father," Morgan piped up. "In your book, _"Beginner's Guide to Strategies"_ , you know how you wrote your own notes over the actual book's text?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, I did the same thing, but there was also another person's writing in there, one whose handwriting I don't recognize."

"Ah, that one." A small smile formed on Robin's face. "To be honest, I don't know who that was either. The writing was already in the guidebook when I got it, but to be fair, I've had on me even before I lost my memories."

"Oh…" Morgan's face dropped.

Lucina tilted her head slightly, not sure as to what they were talking about.

"Oh, that's right!" Robin looked at Lucina while pulling out a small book from the inner pockets of his cloak. "Sorry, I forgot I haven't shown you this."

Lucina took the book from Robin's hands. The black leather cover was worn down over the ages with the title being just eligible. Sifting through the pages, she saw countless lines of text crossed out and replaced with another's writing.

"But, I have a good guess as to whose writing that belongs to," Robin said to his daughter.

"Who?" Morgan's ears immediately perked up.

"My mother," Robin softly said.

It took a moment for Morgan to figure out what Robin was talking about. When it finally clicked, her eyes went wide as full moons and her jaw dropped.

"Heh, I guess that was the answer you were least expecting," Robin chuckled. "Ah, here we are. I'll tell you what I can recall about her as we eat."

Pushing aside a set of wooden doors, the three entered the mess hall.

"Something smells good…" Robin smiled. "Stahl. It's definitely him cooking."

The tactician off towards the kitchen with a childish grin on his face. A couple seconds later, a loud crash was heard from the kitchen along with a scream.

"So~~~~" Morgan looked up at Lucina.

"Yes?"

"How did you meet my dad?"

 _. . ._

* * *

 _. . ._

Robin let out a content sigh. His belly was full with Stahl's high-quality cooking and the day was still young. Morgan wanted to talk with Lucina, so the two of them left to her room. With little else to do, Robin was aimlessly walking around. As he was patting his stomach, he remembered that he promised to give Priam a bear meat stew by the end of previous year. Two of them, in fact. Not looking forward to an encounter with the Radiant Hero again, Robin quickly discarded the thought as he continued to walk.

 _Hmm… I guess now would be a good time to start working on that…_

 _ **On what?**_

 _Rings._

 _ **Are you proposing to someone? Who? Lucina?**_

 _No. It's not an engagement ring._

 _ **Tch. You're no fun. Alright, I'll bite. What kind of ring?**_

 _One for communication. The Miriel of my world and I brainstormed the idea one day and she was able to get down a solid ground on it. One person would wear one, another would wear another, and then the two would be able to communicate over long distances. At least, that's the idea._

 _ **I take it that she either didn't finish it or you were transported here before she did.**_

 _The former._

 _ **Ah, I see. How would the rings work?**_

 _To be completely honest, I'm not too sure myself. Miriel said something about wavelengths and whatnot, but she lost me after the first minute of explaining._

 _ **That sounds about right. Happens to pretty much everyone when speaking with her. Why not bring this idea to the Miriel of this world? She might be able finish what the Miriel of your world couldn't.**_

 _Solid idea. Hopefully she'll have arrived by now and isn't in too bad of a shape from her little mishap._

 _ **Please. We both know that Miriel is used to failed experiments by now. I'm sure that she'll start working on your project even if she isn't fully well.**_

 _And that's what I'm worried about. If she's still injured, I don't want her to strain her body,_

 _ **Alright, it's your call.**_

It turned out that Miriel and Ricken hadn't arrived yet. Not wanting to waste the day away, Robin went to the training grounds and spent the better part of three hours there, honing his magic, specifically, his control of spacial magic. The only thing he was able to use it for was for teleportation and redirecting magic attacks, and while both being extremely powerful magic, they were very taxing on his mana reserves. He needed a way to recreate the effect of teleportation and redirection but at a smaller cost of mana.

Nearing the end of his practice, he was approached by Lon'qu.

"Robin."

"Lon'qu?" Robin raised an eyebrow. "It's not everyday that you come to me."

"I came here with the intention to train," Lon'qu replied. "It is a training ground, after all."

"Ahaha, you're right," Robin laughed. Picking up two wooden swords, he offered one to Lon'qu. "Care to spar?"

Lon'qu was silent as he stared at the wooden swords.

"Wooden swords will not have the same effect as wielding an actual sword," Lon'qu finally said. "They lack the weight and balance. Also, you are not in top form as of right now."

"I'm fine. I'm not running on fumes just yet, so I'm confident in my ability to fight as normal. So yes?" Robin asked.

Lon'qu answered by drawing his newly acquired sword, Chikage.

"Cause using actual swords that can slice through armor is a much safer option," Robin sarcastically said, tossing the wooden ones aside and drawing his own. "Sounds fun!"

The two took their respective stances; Lon'qu held his sword in both hands and raised horizontally to his right at shoulder level while Robin assumed a very unusual one handed stance. He bent his knees slightly and lowered his sword to the point it was just hanging above the ground. Lon'qu had never seen or even heard of such a strange sword-style, and yet, despite how unorthodox and unique it was, Lon'qu couldn't see any openings in his stance.

 _Just like Reina and her unorthodox style,_ Lon'qu noted.

Robin made the first move by kicking off the ground. Closing the seven meter gap between them in a second, Robin swung his sword upwards. Easily avoiding the swing backstepping, Lon'qu was about to counterattack when a sudden force hit him in the chest, throwing the swordsman backwards. Landing on his feet, Lon'qu looked up to see Robin retract his off-hand while bringing his sword back in front of him.

Not wanting Robin to get the first attack again, Lon'qu lunged forward. A centered vertical swing, a downwards swing from the right, a horizontal swing at his side, a diagonal upwards swing, another centered vertical swing. Five attacks that were swung at a blinding speed and five attacks that were warded off by Robin's sword.

The two were so focused on their spar that they didn't even notice that they gathered a crowd of spectators, Shepherds included. Minutes passed as the fight grew more and more intense by the second. A gasp rippled through the crowed when Lon'qu managed to disarm Robin. Before his sword even hit the ground, Robin leaned backwards to avoid another swing, spinning on one foot as he delivered a heel kick at the swordsman's head, which was just barely avoided.

Exhaling, Robin flicked his arms to his side, coating them in a weakened version of his lightning arms, and moved forward once again to engage Lon'qu. Seeing how Robin upped his arsenal, Lon'qu decided to do the same. As he swung his sword down to his side, a scarlet red liquid shot out from the hilt of the sword and past the end of the blade, giving the sword another quarter length's reach. Lon'qu didn't know much of Chikage's ability aside from the fact that it was able to slice through armor like paper at the cost of consuming his stamina at a faster rate.

Seeing the scarlet blade, Robin poured more mana into his arms as he crossed his arms above his head to receive Lon'qu's first blow. Robin mentally patted himself on the back for reinforcing his arms further with mana. The diluted version of his magic wouldn't have been nearly enough and he'd have lost an arm just now. It took everything he had for his magic to withstand Lon'qu's scarlet blade.

Both of them were giving it their all and neither of them could make a move. If Robin eased off of his defense for a second, Lon'qu would overpower him within that instant, and if Lon'qu stopped applying as much pressure onto his sword as he was now, Robin would be able to break through his guard. The two of them couldn't help but grin in this stalemate.

A loud clap resonated across the training grounds followed by a booming voice.

"Alright, that's enough, you two!"

The two fighters blinked, finally noticing the large crowd that they attracted as they took a step back from one another. Robin was vaguely aware of Sully and Vaike each give Gaius a few pieces of gold. Approaching them was a towering man with a shiny, bald head.

"Basilio," Lon'qu greeted the Khan.

"Where in hell did you learn to fight like that?" Basilio grunted. "Bah, doesn't matter. War room, now. We've a problem on our hands."

 _. . ._

* * *

 _. . ._

"The entire fleet?!" Chrom roared.

"Most, not all. Roughly eighty percent."

Robin couldn't believe it. Most of the Feroxi ships were destroyed beyond repair and an armada of Valmese warships were sighted across the sea, no doubt with the intention of invading Ylisse. If the Valmese managed to make it to Ylisse, whether it was through a port or a shore, there'd be no chance for them to be stopped.

"Way to throw a giant wrench into the plans," Reina muttered under her breath so that only Robin would be able to hear.

Looking at the people gathered in the war room, Robin's eyes rested on Lucina for a moment. A grim look was on her face as she stared at the map laid on the table before them. Then, he turned to both Khans.

"How did this happen?" Robin asked. "I find it difficult to believe that the Feroxi fleet was destroyed, even if they were against the Valmese."

Flavia sighed. "They had a new weapon that we haven't seen before. We couldn't tell what it was exactly since we were too busy fighting. All we know is that they were using _this_ …as ammunition."

Flavia brought out an arrow. Only this one was as tall as Basilio, and the arrowhead four hooks jutting out from the sides.

"They used these against our ships, either destroying our masts, latching on to us to prevent us from escaping, or simply creating holes to sink us."

Once again, Robin was blindsided by an unexpected occurrence in this world. He was relying too much on his own past and was paying dearly for it.

"With our fleet destroyed, we can't do much except wait for the Valmese army to arrive here," Basilio grunted.

"If they land, they'll tear through our defenses within days," Robin said. "We need to catch them at sea."

"How, boy?!" Basilio roared. "Need I repeat myself? We have no ships!"

"Maybe not us, but another land does," Reina pointed out.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Reina.

"What do you mean?" Chrom asked.

"A certain kingdom that we were at war with not too long ago still owes us quite a bit, if memory serves," Reina replied.

"No," Chrom firmly stated. "Not Plegia. Absolutely not."

"They have gold, boy!" Basilio yelled. "Countless ships! And more importantly, we have a fart's chance in the wind without them."

"The oaf is right," Flavia agreed. "...Crude, but right. There's only one path forward."

"But - !"

"Chrom, we either ask Plegia for help, or we sit here and do nothing while Walhart's army invades," Robin urged. "Reconsider."

Had Chrom clenched bit jaw any harder, he would've cracked a few teeth. After what seemed like an eternity, Chrom finally gave in.

"Fine," Chrom reluctantly said. "Send a messenger and request a summit immediately. Let us pray this new king is more reasonable than their last."

"Agreed." Reina nodded.

Stretching, Robin let out a large sigh.

"If we're done here, I think I need a drink," Robin muttered.

* * *

 **And done!**

 **So, a LOT of dialogue in this one. I hope I didn't bore any of you to death from the hefty amount of talking in this chapter. Reason for that is because once again, the actual game doesn't give us a sense of time between events. There's no way that each chapter takes place one after another, especially when they had to send a messenger halfway across the continent and wait for him to return with a reply. I could've just skipped to that point, but that'd feel like cheating for me, not to mention it wouldn't feel right.**

 **But hey, Morgan and Marc finally joined. I'm sure the pairings for Robin and Reina for this story isn't that hard to figure out. The mystery of Frederick's horse has yet to be completely figured out, time travel is a bitch, some talk on magical communication rings, Lon'qu and Robin had a little spar while others took bets, and now we're heading to Plegia. Now that's one that I'm looking forward to.**

 **And that's all for now! See you on the flipside.**

* * *

 **Review/Comment Reply area thing:**

 **\- Schmacklar:** **/watch?v=rGa1rhozTs4 &feature= &t=17  
No, but seriously, I think you're the only one with critiques, both with my misuse of the word "spoke" and the brackets. I was using the brackets as a way to signify that the word/spell was magic, and magic alone, since there's already a few things being italicized. I've changed the bracket words to being italicized like everything else, so hopefully this'll make your reading experience better.**

 **\- L2X: I already have something planned for them. Don't you worry about that :)**

 **\- Artyom-Dreizehn: I figured someone would point that out, and as such, I've already had an explanation prepped up. I was thinking of having Morgan/Marc keep their younger age (I think they're fifteen or something in-game) but decided against it. For reasons, well...just because.**

 **\- BlastOS: Panne's carrot stew? Yes and no. Yes, he did make it (during that time after Gangrel's death and before Robin's journey to the Garden). It seemed like such a minor thing to the story and I couldn't figure out a good place to put that in without it being forced, so I left it out. Same goes for a lot of other in-game supports.  
As for each Deadlord having their own unique manner of speech? Interesting.**

 **\- Antex, Matt Cyr, Nightshade 0-1, and Darth Hamburglar: This story will without a doubt be a RobinXLucina pairing since that's how I've been setting things up and how I have things planned out for them. But this doesn't mean that I'm not thinking of making a RobinXCherche fanfic. But if I do, it'll most likely be of one-shots because I don't want to make a rehash of Another Awakening. That'd be unfair to the readers if I just copy-pasted the story with only a few things changed in between.  
Oh, and Matt Cyr? Me leaving out their interactions was on purpose. *evil laugh***


	24. (XXIII) I Would Have Been Your Daddy

**So, I don't know what happened, but when I tried uploading this chapter earlier, I got an error message while the site said that the chapter was uploaded. And since I wasn't too sure If the chapter was actually up, I waited a few hours, deleted this chapter, and uploaded it once more. If any of you got duplicate notifications, I apologize.**

* * *

"Chro~~~m, how much further? My feet hurt. It's hot. I'm sweating. There's sand in my shoes. I'm thirsty."

The Ylissean prince let out an exhausted sigh as he listened to his sister's complaints for the hundredth time.

A week passed since the events up north in Regna Ferox. After receiving word that the newly instated Plegian king was willing to negotiate, the Shepherds immediately left for the Plegian capital. And of course, venturing into Plegian lands also meant venturing across their infamous desert. Strangely enough, the king's name was never mentioned, making the entire thing seem very, VERY suspicious.

"Not much further, Lissa," Chrom sighed. "Look, we can see the capital from here."

"Oh, thank Naga!" Lissa exclaimed, gaining a new burst of energy. "I can't take this desert any longer!"

"I think Robin still has you beat on hatred for deserts," Chrom grinned, looking next to him to see a very grumpy tactician. "How're you doing, Robin?"

All Robin did was grunt in reply.

"Told you," Chrom said to Lissa.

Pouting, Lissa mumbled some colorful words under her breath about sand and heat. Behind them, Morgan and Lucina were holding a conversation. Ever since they started talking back at Ferox, the two were seen together more often than not. Most of their conversations were about Robin, stories that either ridiculed him or put him in a very positive light. Usually the former. The conversation that they were holding at the moment was one such.

"You can't be serious!" Morgan laughed. "Father actually did that?"

"Yes, he did," Lucina nodded. "Of course, after he climbed to the top of the bookshelf, he accidentally knocked it over, creating a domino effect on all the other bookshelves in that row."

"Why didn't he just get a stool, or a stepladder?"

"He said that it seemed like a good idea at the time. Though, he took that statement back when my father forced him to clean up the study."

Morgan laughed once more. The young girl's positiveness was contagious and Lucina couldn't help but smile herself.

The Shepherds walked for a little longer until they finally arrived at the Plegian capital where they were immediately escorted to the castle. As they drew closer, Robin recalled his biggest failure, which was at this very spot, when Emmeryn sacrificed herself. Even after all this time, Robin regretted that day for overlooking the potential threat of the Risen and was often plagued by nightmares of that day.

"It's not your fault," Chrom solemnly said from beside Robin.

"Hm?"

Chrom sighed. "I know what you're thinking, Robin. Your face says it all."

"I should've planned better," Robin bitterly said.

"No one could've expected the Risen to appear," Chrom replied. "If anything, it's my fault for not being strong enough. Had I been stronger, Emm wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself."

Robin bit his lips. He knew Chrom was trying to make him feel better, but it didn't help him at all. Tearing his eyes gaze away from Grima's skull, Robin looked ahead of him, though the sight in front of him wasn't much better. All it served as was a reminder of his betrayal, of how he murdered Chrom in his world. The dark castle loomed over them as the Shepherds entered the main hall.

Inside the castle, their escorts stopped in front of a set of large metal doors and turned to face the Shepherds.

"Only three of you may proceed," one of the guards said. "I'm sorry, but those were the orders given to me."

Chrom nodded. "Understood. Robin and Frederick, with me. Everyone else, wait here. This shouldn't take too long. Hopefully."

As the three walked further in, Robin quickly scanned the room for any potential threats. He was mildly surprised to see that there wasn't anyone hiding in the shadows, nor were there any guards posted in the corridor. Walking past another set of doors, they arrived at the throne room, where a lone woman awaited them.

"Greetings, Prince Chrom," the woman cooed, spreading her arms. "Plegia welcomes you."

"Aversa?" Chrom narrowed his eyes.

Placing a finger on her lips, Aversa smiled. "What can I say? It would seem that fate has designs for me yet."

"You serve the new king, then?" Chrom asked. "I'm afraid we've yet to be told his name."

"Oh, don't you worry about that, Prince Chrom," Aversa smiled. "He is a fine king, one that was able to unite Plegia during the difficult times after the late king Gangrel's passing. We had meant to arrange an official visit to Ylisstol, but both our kingdoms were quite busy, and still are, but - ah, here is my lord now."

Stepping to the side, Aversa gestured behind her where the Plegian king strode forward. Robin's blood froze when he recognized the tall, lanky figure.

"It's an honor to finally meet you, sire." The king lightly bowed to Chrom. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Validar, king regnant of Plegia."

"The honor is mine, King Validar." Chrom returned the greeting, his brow furrowing in confusion. "…Forgive me, but is it possible that we've met somewhere before?"

"Oh ho, I'm quite certain that I'd remember any encounter with Ylissean royalty, the Exalt, no less," Validar chuckled.

"You…" Robin growled, mana pouring into his hand.

Irritation momentarily flashed on Validar's face as he looked at Robin before calmly smiling once more.

"And you must be Sir Robin," Validar lightly said.

"Don't screw with me, Validar." Lighting was coursing through Robin's arm as he took a step forward. "How is it that you're alive?"

"Robin." Chrom placed a firm hand on his shoulder, but Robin shrugged him off.

"I killed you myself over two years ago," Robin snarled. "How are you standing before me right now?!"

"ROBIN!" Chrom roughly pulled Robin back, throwing him a hard glare.

Aversa smirked. "My my, such hostilities even before negotiations even began."

"My apologies, King Validar," Chrom said. "The journey has been long for us."

"No harm done," Validar said with a small wave of his hand. "Now, shall be begin the negotiations?"

On cue, Aversa pulled out a scroll from a small pouch beside her, rolling it open.

"Plegia can offer 800 warships and 200 transports, totaling 1,000 ships in total. In addition, we will be pleased to fully fund the campaign against Valm," Aversa read.

Chrom and Frederick both widened their eyes in surprise as Robin narrowed his in suspicion.

"That is…surprisingly generous of you, milord," Frederick stated. "We could not ask for more, quite literally. You offer us most of your assets…"

"Unfortunately." Validar raised a hand. "We cannot offer any soldiers. I regret to say that our army is still in shambles from the previous war and my people would not take too kindly to us sending our worn soldiers back to the battlefield so soon."

"I understand," Chrom said.

"I trust the gold and ships will suffice as sign of our commitment to the cause?" Validar asked.

"Of course, it's more than we could've hoped for," Chrom answered. "Thank you, King Validar."

Validar lowered his head in a polite bow. "The honor is ours, my prince. I look forward to building a strong and healthy bond between our two nations."

"As do I," Chrom smiled. "Then, if there's nothing else? My men and I must hurry back to Port Ferox."

"Oh, so soon?" Aversa took a small step forward. "But I have one more introduction to make."

"…Yes?" Chrom raised an eyebrow. "And who would that be?"

"A hierophant, the highest of his order in Plegia," Validar answered. Looking behind him at an open door, Validar nodded.

Slowly, from the shadows, a lone figure dressed in a black robe with golden embroideries walked forward. Purple marking lined the robe's sleeves and the hood was pulled up, hiding the figure's face from view.

"What the - ?!" Robin took a step back as he saw the approaching figure.

Confused, Chrom looked at Robin, then at the hierophant, then back at Robin. Chrom's eyes quickly widened as he noticed that the hierophant's robes was the exact same as Robin's, down to the last marking.

"Who…who are you?" Robin slowly asked. There was a dangerous edge in his voice.

The figure said nothing, silently staring in Robin's direction.

"Good hierophant, I would ask you to lower your cowl," Frederick said. "In Ylisse, it is a courtesy expected of one in the presence of royalty."

The figure's head turned to look at Frederick.

"…You are a long way from Ylisse, sir," the figure said in a very, VERY familiar voice. "…but, very well."

The figure slowly pulled back the hood on the coat, revealing the face underneath. Chrom and Frederick both reacted strongly, letting out a startled gasp as they both took a step backwards.

"By the gods!" Chrom exclaimed.

"What manner of sorcery - " Frederick's words died in his throat as he stared at the face in front of him. Robin's face, to be exact. The only difference was that the hierophant's eyes were a dull red color instead of the usual hazel of Robin's.

The hierophant's lips curved upwards ever so slightly into what barely passed as a smile.

"Pleasure to meet you all. My name is Robin," the hierophant bowed before looking at the Shepherd-Robin, sending a chill down his spine. "Oh, and that was _your_ name as well, wasn't it? What a strange coinci- "

Before the hierophant could finish speaking, Robin blasted him with a devastating bolt of lightning, causing a large cloud of dust to erupt between the two groups. The force of Robin's lightning was powerful enough to shake the very room, causing a part of the ceiling to fall down to the floor.

"Robin, what the hell?!" Chrom roared, violently grabbing Robin by hem of his robes. "What the hell did you just do!"

"Don't stop me, Chrom," Robin growled, throwing the prince off. "That... _thing, needs to_ \- "

"My my, that was quite the shock."

Robin froze as Validar's voice was heard through the cloud of dust. As it cleared, Validar, Aversa, and the hierophant were all standing in the same spots as they were before. Not even one of them had a single scratch on their person.

"King Validar, I deeply apologize for - "

"It would seem that this castle is getting quite old." Validar casually looked upwards at the ceiling, seemingly ignoring Chrom's words. "For a large portion of the ceiling to just come crashing down, quite dangerous indeed."

Chrom blinked, not sure what Validar was saying.

"I will get our finest architects on that right away, my lord," Aversa cooed.

 _They're purposefully tossing aside the fact that I just attacked them,_ Robin realized.

Judging from his expression, Chrom must've come to the same conclusion.

"In any case, I believe we are finished here," Validar addressed Chrom once more, dusting a bit of dust off from his shoulders. "We will let you be on your way."

"O-of course," Chrom said, not wanting to throw away the Plegians' act of grace. "Thank you once again, King Validar."

As they turned around to leave, Aversa spoke up once more.

"Oh, do take care on your way back. The highroads can be quite treacherous at this time of the year."

 _. . ._

* * *

 _. . ._

None of the Shepherds said a word as they left Plegia. As the sun started to set, they set up camp for the night in a long-dried riverbed. The moment camp preparations were finished, Chrom stormed over to Robin.

"What the hell was that?" Chrom roughly grabbed Robin's shoulder, forcing him to turn around.

The camp quieted down as the Shepherds watched Chrom grab Robin by his collar. Both of them looked furious, an emotion that was never before seen on the usually calm and collected tactician. The negotiations with Plegia were successful, which betrayed the emotions that both men were showing.

"Frederick, what happened back there?" Reina asked.

"I - I do not know myself," Frederick replied.

Reina's brow furrowed. Not only was Robin displaying an emotion that he never showed before, Frederick was also very out of character. Frederick always knew what was going on.

"The Plegian hierophant..." Frederick sighed. "He had the exact same face as our tactician over there."

"What?!"

"I'm afraid that's all I know before Robin decided to attack the hierophant while King Validar and Aversa were standing by," Frederick stated. "We were quite fortunate that the king dismissed Robin's aggression as the building's architecture being old."

"Validar?!" Reina nearly yelled. "Are you sure?"

"Quite. The king introduced himself as such and I must admit, he looked very similar to the man that both you and Robin felled during that night two years ago."

"But…that's impossible…" Reina muttered. "We killed him. I'm sure of it. Robin fried all of his internal organs."

Frederick sighed. "I'm well aware. But our eyes did not deceive us when Validar stood before us once more. But what troubles me more than the king was the fact that the hierophant shared Robin's face."

Reina looked back over at Robin, who angrily shoved Chrom off before storming off into the nearby woods, away from the camp. Chrom was about to give chase when Cordelia placed her hand on his arm.

"Let him be," Cordelia softly said.

"But he - !"

"Chrom." Cordelia grabbed her husband's face and forced him to stare at her. "Both you and Robin need to calm down. Let Robin blow off some steam while you do the same. You can talk once more when you're both in the right state of mind."

Chrom glanced back over at the woods where Robin walked into.

"…fine."

As Chrom and Cordelia walked to their tent, the rest of the Shepherds dispersed into their own groups. The mood was low from Chrom and Robin's fight and night soon settled.

 _. . ._

* * *

 _. . ._

Far into the woods, Robin stumbled across a lake. His mind was in disarray after seeing the hierophant. Robin recalled the dreams he had, the ones where he saw a hooded figure standing in a ruined world. The very dream that caused him and Reina to try and kill each other during their first encounter.

"Damn it all…" Robin cursed, anger rising within him.

Letting out an anguished scream, Robin threw out his arm, letting loose a burst of magic, one twice as powerful as the one he sent at the hierophant, into the lake. A large spout of water sprouted from the point where Robin's magic touched the surface of the lake, showering both him and the ground with water.

" _...Ro…heed me...bin…"_

Robin wheeled around, searching for the source of the voice. It sounded close, but no one was around him, nor did he sense anyone nearby. After a few moments, Robin let out a sigh.

" _Heed me…Robin…"_

The voice returned, only louder this time, followed by an intense pain that shot through Robin's head.

"Aa-aaauugh!" Robin clutched his head as he felt as if it was about to split in two.

A flash of light appeared before Robin with a man stepping out.

" _Why do you close your heart to him, Robin?"_ the man asked.

Looking up, Robin's blood boiled.

"Validar!" Robin snarled. "You - GAH!" Robin fell to his knees in pain. "Get- get out of my head!"

" _Such arrogance!"_ Validar sneered. " _You dare take such a tone against me? Against your own father?"_

"You…you are NOT my father!" Robin shouted.

Validar cackled, relishing in Robin's defiance. " _True, you may be from a different world. However, the fact remains that y_ _ou are of my flesh, but of sacred blood. You are to serve a glorious purpose! I'm sure you already know of this, do you not? After all, that damned woman from the future came to this world with her accursed friends. I've half a mind to personally visit her."_

"Don't - don't you dare…go near Lucina…" Robin gasped.

" _And who would stop me?"_ Validar sneered. " _You? In your pitiful state? You can't even defend yourself against me!"_

"Ngh - g-get OUT!" Robin roared.

" _Why do you continue to resist, Robin?"_ Validar snapped. " _Your rightful place is by my - no, by OUR side! Why do you waste your time with those frivolous pets of - "_

 _ **Excuse me, but I do believe that my host has asked you to leave already. Twice, in fact. It's rather rude to loiter without permission.**_

Validar spun on his heels, looking for the one who spoke.

" _Who's there? Show yourself!"_ Validar demanded.

 _ **Ahaha, this guy's funny. Robin, where'd you find this geezer?**_

" _You would dare mock me?"_ Validar seethed. _"COME OUT AND REVEAL YOURSELF!"_

… _ **I can do that? "Oh, would you look at that, I can!"**_

From next to Robin, another figure walked up. Robin tried to look up at the figure but was in too much pain to even lift his head.

 _ **"** **Hiya, what can I do for you?"**_

" _Who are you…"_ Validar scowled.

 _ **"This creepy old man… You invade Robin's head, which is currently my home, by the way, without even knowing the single occupant inside of it? I mean, I know that his head seems inviting and all, and don't get me wrong, it's pretty comfortable in here, but there's only room for one member, which is me. So, sorry, I'm the VIP, which means you can't stay here."**_

" _ANSWER ME!"_ Validar shrieked.

 _ ***sigh* "So impatient. Can't even take a joke, either. Very well, if you need to know so badly…"**_

The figure took another step forward, almost defensively, in front of Robin.

 ** _"_** _ **I am known as**_ _**Alternis. Pleasure to meet you."**_

"Al - Alternis?" Robin croaked, finally managing to look up.

Alternis was wearing a jet black cloak that was lined with golden designs. His hood had two, gold horn looking designs on the end, and was pulled up over his head to hide his face. Looking at Robin, the corners of Alternis's mouth curved upwards in a grin.

 _ **"** **How you doing? I guess you can finally put a name to a face, or rather, voice to a face now, right?"**_

"What - how?" Robin was at a loss for words.

 _ **"** **How am I here? Well, since THIS asshole over here**_ \- " Alternis jabbed a finger over at a very perplexed looking Validar " - _**decided to give himself a near physical manifestation of himself in your head, I decided to take a form as well."**_

"That- that's not what - "

 _"Enough!"_ Validar interrupted. " _Who are you?!"_

 _ **"** **Does he not listen? I literally introduced myself not even thirty seconds ago."**_

 _"Your little 'introduction' was nothing more than - "_

 _ **"** **Hey, geezer."**_ Alternis's voice turned cold as he turned towards Validar. _**"** **Leave."**_

Validar scowled. _"Fool, do you truly believe that you can - "_

With a popping sound, the air folded around Validar, and the Plegian King was gone. As the pain in Robin's head subsided, so did the image of Alternis.

 _ **"** **Welp, that's that. Sorry, I had to use a chunk of your mana to kick him out, so…you may feel a little tired."**_

"How- how did you…?"

 _ **"** **Kick him out of your head?"**_ A sly grin formed on Alternis's face. _**"** **I**_ **did** _ **live here the better part of two years. I even told you back at the Mire that I had a good grasp on how things go on in your head. Kicking out an invader from the place where I've been for years was easier than I expected, though it did take a little while to get past his barrier."**_

"Robin!" A voice sounded from afar.

 _ **"Oh hey, it's Lucina."**_

"W-wait…" Robin coughed, staggering to his feet. "Who are you, really? You aren't just a simple voice in my head. You're much, MUCH more than that."

Alternis's body was transparent now and fading fast. _**"** **Sorry, but I'm sworn to secrecy."**_

"By who?"

A sad smile formed on Alternis's lips. _**"You** **."**_

Leaving infinitely more questions than answers, Alternis's image vanished, leaving Robin alone beside the lake.

 _ **Don't worry, I'm still here in your head.**_

 _Figures…_

 _ **But I truly am sorry for not being able to tell you anymore. In any case, it looks like you've more important things to attend to.**_

"Robin!" Lucina's voice was much closer now as she burst through the woods and into the clearing, spotting Robin immediately.

"Father!" Morgan also appeared right behind Lucina and the two ran over to Robin.

"Oh, thank the gods," Morgan cried out, leaping into Robin. "You're safe!"

Robin cast a confused look over at Lucina, who looked equally worried as Morgan.

"We felt the ground shake a little followed by a large spout of water from the distance," Lucina said after calming herself. "We were going to leave you be but then the Risen appeared."

"Risen?!"

"Yes, but they're not acting like normal Risen. They're just standing still, forming a perimeter around camp. When Morgan and I came in search of you, they cleared a path for us to travel. We thought it was a trap at first, but then we heard your screams."

"I see. Let's head back to camp." Robin shook his head to clear his thoughts. "These Risen take priority. And Lucina?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for worrying about me," Robin smiled.

Lucina felt her face heat up. "N-no problem," she replied, facing away from Robin. With luck, the darkness of the night would have hidden her blush.

"Hey, what about me?" Morgan huffed.

"You too, little one," Robin laughed.

"Mm…" Morgan puffed her cheeks out. "Why am I 'little one'?"

"Because you're my daughter." Robin playfully ruffled Morgan's hair. "And that means that you have to deal with me being a doting father. Now, let's go. I don't think those Risen will wait forever."

The instant the three of them stepped foot into the woods, the air thickened, causing the three to draw their weapons. Advancing slowly, Robin created a bright flame that hovered just above his head to act as a light source.

With Robin leading and Morgan in the rear, Lucina found herself in the middle of the father-daughter duo. Though she didn't show it, her heart was in turmoil. For one, she would often feel very self-conscious whenever Robin was around, something that she never really cared for. Second, she did not understand why her heart fluttered and why her cheeks flushed when Robin thanked her not too long ago. Next, her heart also felt a sharp pain whenever she'd see Robin and Morgan together and when she'd think of who Morgan's mother might possibly be. And lastly, she would feel a mix of comfort, sadness, and joy whenever she'd interact with Morgan.

She was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't notice that Robin came to a halt, only stopping when Robin placed his arm in front of her.

"We're surrounded," Robin warned.

Lucina cursed. She was so distracted that she hadn't noticed the obvious signs of Risen. She had let her earlier sightings of the Risen making way for both her and Morgan to throw her off and didn't notice the lack of the usual noises that came from the woods. A pungent odor slowly crept into the area, no doubt from the mass of undead bodies.

"Five in front and four on both sides of us," Robin said as his eyes scanned the trees.

"There's four of them behind us as well," Morgan added.

Lucina was struck by a wave of confusion. It was not like Risen to wait in ambush. Their tactics consisted of blindly rushing any living thing in their sights and the sight of Risen showing patience raised a bunch of alarms in her.

"This is just like the encounter with that Deadlord," Robin quietly recalled.

"You encountered a Deadlord?!" Lucina gasped.

"Yeah, in that village that was under attack from bandits back in Ferox," Robin answered. "But we'll talk later. They're coming."

Just as Robin said, the leaves and bushes rustled and the surrounding Risen rushed at the three.

"Get down!" Robin shouted, priming gusts of wind in his hands.

Grabbing onto Morgan's shoulder, Lucina threw herself onto the floor along with Morgan just as Robin spun on his heels with his arms outstretched. Two magical blades of wind were sent out from either hand, slicing the entire group of Risen in half.

"Let's go! There's more on the way!"

Scrambling to their feet, Lucina and Morgan ran after Robin who was sprinting further into the woods. The light source that Robin created was shining even brighter now, illuminating anything within a ten meter radius around Robin.

The Risen through themselves at the three Shepherds with no regards to their lives since they had none. Due to their recklessness, the speed in which the party moved was slowed greatly as they had to hold their ground many times to fight against the onslaught of rotting flesh and metal.

After fighting off the sixth wave of Risen, Lucina's arms were getting heavy while Morgan was panting. If Robin was feeling any sort of exhaustion, he didn't show it as he stoically lead them through the woods and back the Shepherds' camp. Soon, the sounds of metal clashing against metal and yells were heard through the air.

"We're close, only one more stretch and we'll be back at camp," Robin said as he placed himself behind the girls. "Hurry!"

Lucina didn't have to be told twice as she ran forward with newfound energy. Even as the Risen flung themselves at her, they failed to impede her progress as she continued forward, her Falchion nothing more than a deadly arc of gold. Morgan was close behind, using both sword and magic to cover Lucina's blind spots.

A chill ran down Lucina's spine as she spotted a pair of gleaming eyes that shone in the darkness. A colossal Risen came crashing through the woods, holding an uprooted tree as its weapon. Letting out a bloodcurdling roar, the Risen charged forward with the tree raised above its head before swinging it down at Lucina. Although Lucina jumped to the side to avoid the Risen's tree-club, the multitude of branches raked down her side, tearing off parts of her sleeve and drawing blood. Kicking off the trunk of a tree, Lucina leapt forward at the Risen's head with the intent to plunge Falchion into its skull.

Just before Falchion made contact with the undead's rotting skin, a sudden and heavy force hit her from below and threw her upwards, knocking the air out of her lungs. Twisting her body in the air, she looked down the see the colossus looking right back at her. It drew an arm back, the very arm that was holding the tree, in preparation to throw the three at Lucina, who was in no condition to avoid it.

With a roar, the Risen flung its arm upwards, only to let out a very confused grunt as it stared at the stump of an arm. The remainder of the giant arm came crashing to the ground along with the tree-club. Behind the colossus was a very angry Morgan, whose arm was outstretched as a green wind swirled around her. With another gust of wind, Morgan created a draft that gently brought Lucina down beside her. The colossal Risen turned around as its eyes settled on Morgan and Lucina.

"Where the hell do you think you're looking?"

Robin suddenly materialized on the Risen's head, his eyes burning in anger.

"Keep your filthy eyes off my daughter and princess."

Raising his foot slightly off the Risen's head, Robin brought an electrified heel down. What followed was the crack of thunder and blinding flash as a bolt of lightning fell from the skies. The lightning crashed down right onto the skull of the Risen, directly on the spot where Robin stomped.

Lightly landing on his feet, Robin turned to look at Morgan and Lucina even before the Risen finished disintegrating into purple dust.

"Are you alright?" Robin asked. His brow furrowed when he saw Lucina's torn-up arm. "No, you're not," he added, digging out an vulnerary from one of his robe's inner pockets and handing it to Lucina.

Gratefully taking the vulnerary, Lucina took a large mouthful of the bitter medicine. Her wounds didn't close, but it was enough for the bleeding to stop.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me," Robin casually replied. "Need some time to rest?"

Lucina shook her head. "I'm fine, Robin."

Robin nodded before looking at his daughter. "Morgan?"

"A little tired," Morgan admitted. "But I can keep going."

Robin frowned, not wanting to let his daughter continue to fight in her tired state, but he let it slide.

"Come on," Robin said as he started moving once more.

Not ten seconds later, the three finally managed to get out of the woods and was standing on a small ledge overviewing the Shepherds' camp. As expected, Reina was able to mobilize the Shepherds well as they formed a perimeter around the campsite, but with their small numbers, they were spread out a little too thinly.

"Morgan, go assist Frederick, Vaike, Sully, and Stahl." Robin pointed to the east side. "They don't have any ranged user nearby. Lucina, go to Severa, Ricken and Miriel. Ricken can't hold on much longer and your sister can't fight them all off. After that, you're free to help whoever you think needs help the most."

Once the two girls ran off, Robin took another quick scan of the area. With Lucina and Morgan having gone to reinforce the east and north sides of the camp, things were more or less evened out. He then noticed Cherche and Sumia being pushed back near the south side as a second colossal Risen burst through the forest and straight at the western perimeter…and right into Chrom and Lon'qu. Trusting two of the best swordsmen in the Shepherds with the colossus, Robin warped behind the group of Risen that were attacking Sumia and Cherche.

"Robin?" Sumia's eyes widened at Robin's sudden appearance. "Where did you come from?"

"I'm afraid he'll have to answer you later," Cherche cut in, bringing her axe down on a Risen's skull.

Running his sword through one Risen's back and frying another with a fireball, Robin gave Sumia a small smile.

"Cherche's right, you know," he said. "We've got Risen to take care of."

Nodding, Sumia turned her attention back to the undead horde.

The number of Risen in the area significantly dwindled down as time went on, but the same could be said for the Shepherds' stamina. The endless onslaught of Risen had taken its toll on the Shepherds as most of them were covered in wounds and struggled to move their heavy limbs. Robin was constantly warping back and forth around the camp perimeter, helping out which every side was in the most dire situation, which as almost everywhere, and he couldn't be in two places at once.

During another jump between the camp, Robin heard a cry of pain that turned his blood cold. Turning his head towards the direction of the scream, Robin saw Lucina fall to the floor with a very unusual looking Risen standing over her with its dagger dripping with Lucina's blood.

"LUCINA!"

Robin was at her side immediately. He swung his sword down at the Risen before he even finished his warp but was unable to land a blow as the Risen nimbly leapt backwards. As the Risen gracefully landed on its feet, Robin was able to see the Risen clearly.

It was unique, not unlike the Deadlord Equus, or Achilles, but this one was unique in its own way. The first thing that Robin noticed was that the Risen was a female judging from the stature of it and that her chestplate only covered her breasts, leaving her stomach open. Her lower body was fully armored in black and purple armor and skull shaped pauldrons were fasted onto her shoulders. A tattered cape, the color of the night sky, flowed down her back which also acted as a hood, covering most of her face in darkness.

Strapped on her back was a quiver full of arrows along with a bow, which raised a few questions for Robin, one of them being why she was fighting up close when she could've been picking the Shepherds off one by one from afar. Instead of her bow, a wicked looking dagger was in her hand, the blade as long as her forearm.

The strangest thing, however, was her skin color. While Achilles looked like a human and the Risen had a deep purple tone, hers was cobalt-blue.

Raising his sword, Robin stepped in between the Risen and an unconscious Lucina. As if knowing that Robin wouldn't move from that spot, the Risen suddenly leapt backwards as it pulled out its bow and strung an arrow in a single, fluid motion. Robin's eyes widened in surprise, barely managing to deflect the arrow that was sent at him. Not even Virion, the most talented archer that he met (not that'd he ever tell him, else risk inflating his ego) wasn't able to do that, and yet this Risen pulled off a maneuver that the Duke couldn't even dream of replicating.

"If you're going to fight from range, I'll gladly comply," Robin growled, stabbing his sword into the ground and channeling mana into his hand.

A feral grin formed on the Risen's face as Robin let go of his sword. Crouching momentarily, the Risen kicked off the ground and straight towards Robin with her dagger in her hand once more. The speed in which she moved at caused Robin to lose track of her for a second.

 _ **GET TO LUCINA!**_ Alternis suddenly yelled.

Robin wheeled around just in time to see the Risen land on the ground beside Lucina, her dagger poised to strike at the princess's heart. Robin ran forward as his arm reached out, but he was moving too slow. He'd never be able to cast off magic the Risen, much less save Lucina. Time seemed to slow down, causing further agony upon Robin, as he hopelessly watched the tip of the dagger pierce through Lucina's chest when it suddenly hesitated for a split second.

That split second that the Risen didn't move was more than enough for Robin's spacial magic finish casting. Instead of focusing it on himself, Robin focused the mana on Lucina's body. Lucina momentarily vanished as she reappeared further inside the camp and behind a line of Shepherds.

The Risen made the mistake of looking at Lucina as Robin's electrified foot crashed into the side of the Risen's jaw, sending her flying sideways.

"Robin!"

"Father!"

Chrom, Lon'qu, and Reina, and Morgan came running over. The rest of the Risen were defeated, leaving the Risen that Robin was fighting as the last undead in the camp.

"Who…what is that?" Chrom asked, looking at the Risen.

The Risen rolled to her feet. The action caused her hood to fall off, revealing a very slender face that held an inhuman beauty. Scarlet red eyes pierced through the darkness of the night and pointed ears poked out from beneath her silver grey hair.

"Her ears…a manakete? No…she's different…" Reina muttered.

Clearly outnumbered, the Risen began to retreat into the woods. Lon'qu and Chrom began to pursue her but stopped when they realized that they'd never be able to catch her. The fluidity and speed in which the Risen moved at looked as if she running on the wind itself.

"She's gone…" Chrom turned to face Robin. "Who was she? No, before that, you called Marth…'Lucina'..."

"Shit…" Robin quietly cursed. He had yelled her name out loud in panic as he tried to save her.

"Robin."

"...Perhaps we should speak somewhere a little more private?" Reina suggested, looking at the gathering Shepherds.

Chrom nodded. "My tent, ten minutes," he ordered before leaving.

 _~ A little later, just outside Chrom's tent ~_

"So, why am I here?" Severa huffed.

"Because we're going to tell Chrom about Lucina. And you," Robin replied.

"Yeah, I know that, but - aaagghh!" Severa glared at Robin. "Why'd you have to mess up and yell out Lucina's name?!"

"...I panicked," Robin admitted. "Besides, it's better this way. Now, neither you nor Lucina will have to hide your secret any longer."

Taking a deep breath, Robin opened the door to Chrom's tent and stepped inside. Chrom, Reina, and Cordelia were already there, waiting for Robin, and Lucina was resting on Chrom's bed. Lissa and Maribelle worked together to heal Lucina. Thankfully, her life was never in any danger. Lissa said that Lucina just passed out from the pain and exhaustion, much to everyone's relief.

"You're here." Chrom glanced over at Robin. "With Severa."

"She's a part of this too," Robin simply said.

Chrom wordlessly gestured for Robin to begin speaking. Over the course of the next few minutes, Robin and Reina revealed Lucina and Severa's secret, from their past, to their journey, and to where they were now. With Reina's reassurance, Severa rolled up her sleeve, revealing the Brand of the Exalt on her arm. Chrom's eyes widened upon seeing the Brand on Severa's arm. Reina also told Chrom that Lucina had the Brand in her eye, only it was covered with a weak illusory magic.

"And you couldn't tell us this any earlier...why?" Chrom sighed after listening to their explanations.

"When Lucina first arrived, you and Cordelia hadn't even talked to one another." Robin shrugged. "We decided to let things go on their own rather than have Lucina reveal herself and force the two of you into a relationship. Not only that, we had more pressing matters to attend to."

"But Chrom and I were married not long after the Plegian war," Cordelia recalled. "Why couldn't you tell us then?"

"Well, once again, we didn't want to force anything," Robin repeated. "Sure, the two of you might have been married, but each world was different, so we didn't want to risk anything could have possibly impeded Lucina's birth. My original plan was to wait until Severa was conceived, but… I messed up on that."

At the mention of Severa, both Chrom and Cordelia looked over to the young girl who was standing behind Robin.

"Severa?" Cordelia's voice was soft, no higher than a whisper.

Severa wouldn't, rather, couldn't meet her mother's eyes as she shied away, biting her lip. Her hands tightly clenched the hem of her shirt, wrinkling the cloth as she fought back tears. Slowly standing to her feet, Cordelia hesitantly took a step forward at her daughter. She raised her arms slightly, most likely in an attempt to embrace her daughter, but she lowered them again.

"Go." Robin gently placed his hand on Severa's back, giving her a light push.

That push was all Severa needed as she ran into her mother's arms, startling Cordelia.

"M-Mom!" Severa cried. "I-I've m-missed you s-so much!"

"Shh, it's okay, it's okay," Cordelia coaxed, tightly embracing Severa.

Rising to her feet, Reina walked past Robin as she whispered, "Let's leave the family to their tearful reunion."

Nodding, Robin started following Reina out of the tent.

"Robin," Chrom called out, causing the tactician to turn around. Chrom's eyes softened as he looked at his friend. "Thank you…for saving Lucina earlier. Truly."

"What are friends for?" Robin replied. "Aside from constantly insulting and harassing each other, of course.

Chrom laughed. "You smart-ass."

"Point proven," Robin smirked.

He started to turn around once more and left. The moment Robin exited the tent he was assaulted by a small, feathery, black object.

"Gah! What the - !" Robin struggled to free himself of his tormentor as a light hearted laugh reached his ears.

"Nya ha ha! Come on back, Eileen!"

"CAW!"

Robin grinned. He'd recognize that laugh anywhere as it belonged to one of his closer friends back in his world.

"Hello, Henry," Robin smiled at the pale haired dark mage.

"Heya, Robin!" Henry childishly waved at him as Eileen the Crow landed on his head. As usual, a wide grin was plastered onto his face. "How've ya been? It's been forever since I last saw you at Plegia! I think Gangrel was still alive when we last met!"

Robin momentarily frowned. He didn't remember seeing Henry during war with Gangrel. Passing Henry's comment off as a memory that he lost back from his world, Robin quickly deterred the topic of conversation.

"I've learned some new magic, if that's what you're interested in," Robin said, knowing full well how Henry's mind was. "I don't doubt that you've come up with some new curses, am I right?"

"Nya ha ha ha! Righto!" Henry laughed. "I've come up with twenty one new curses, to be exact! I've even made a new friend! Meet Eileen!" Henry reached up to stroke Eileen's neck.

"Pleasure to meet you, Eileen," Robin greeted the crow.

"CAW!"

"Aww, Eileen likes you!"

"Heh, I'm flattered."

Cawing once more, Eileen suddenly took flight off of Henry's head.

"Ah! Eileen, where are you going!"

Henry ran off after the crow, leaving behind a bewildered Robin. Laughing to himself, he walked through the camp and to his tent. A million things were on Robin's mind, mainly the hierophant, but Robin decided that he'd worry about that later. Too many things happened over the course of the day and Robin was grateful for the chance to rest as sleep came to him the moment he laid down on his bed.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

A lone figure stood in the Plegian throne room. The way he idly tapped his feet on the floor implied that he was waiting for someone…or something.

"Master Grima."

The figure turned around.

"Validar," the figure scowled. "I don't recall requesting your presence."

"Forgive me, Master Grima, but I can't help but think back to the events that took place earlier this afternoon," Validar said as he lowered his head.

"Are you questioning me, Validar?" Grima's voice was calm, yet carried a dangerous edge to it.

Validar paled as he sensed bloodlust oozing from Grima. "N-no! Not all all, Master Grima!"

"I have my reasons for introducing myself this early as a hierophant," Grima slowly said. "Do not forget that I brought you back from the brink of death, Validar. A gift that I can take back at a moment's notice, which I'm considering after your pitiful meeting with Robin. Now, begone from my sight!"

Bowing, Validar quickly left the room. Not long after Validar left, a slight breeze blew through the room. A blue skinned woman appeared on the spot where Validar once stood.

"Ah, you've returned," Grima smiled, his animosity from earlier vanishing.

"…my lord," the woman reluctantly bowed.

Grima sighed. "Draco, please, I've told you before that if you do not wish to use formalities with me, then you don't have to."

"Your interaction with Validar says otherwise," Draco remarked.

"That's different," Grima replied. "I've never liked the man. He thinks too highly of himself, just like that disgusting toad in Valm. Anyways, I've been meaning to ask…" Grima slightly raised an eyebrow at Draco. "How are you feeling? As a Deadlord. I realize that this would make the second time that you've been brought back from the dead. The first time was by Ar-"

"Do not speak of him," Draco snapped.

"Hmm, pity that you do not like the man," Grima chuckled, causing Draco to narrow her eyes. "After all, he is to be another one of my Deadlords."

Draco's eyes widened in horror. "You can't mean - "

Grima laughed. "Quite ironic, isn't it? That the one that once controlled an army of the Scourge and undead is now brought back to life as an undead himself."

"You play with powers beyond your control, Grima," Draco growled. "He is a monster, one of the most vile abominations that walked across Azeroth."

"I'm well aware of his deeds, both sides of him, in fact," Grima said. "I know what I'm doing."

Draco scowled. After a brief moment of silence, Draco asked a single question. "Why?"

"You're going to have to be a little more specific than that."

"Why did you stop me from killing the time traveling princess?"

Grima thoughtfully placed a finger on his chin. "Ah, that!" Grima laughed as he recalled his intervention from earlier. "As much as I would like the meddler to be rid of, I need to keep her alive. For now, at least. Now then, if there's nothing else, I've a few matters to attend to."

Shooting Grima one last glare, Draco vanished from the room, leaving behind nothing but a small gust of wind.

Grima let out a small laugh. "She lives up to her namesake of 'Windrunner' quite well. Though, I guess that's expected of the Queen of the Forsaken."

Turning around, Grima approached a large table that was placed where the throne once was. On the table was a multitude of items, each one belonging to a person of legend in the past; a towering greatsword with a single, straight edged blade that was passed down from the highest soldier to another, a serrated, blood-red spear, a gauntlet with a blade concealed on the underside of the armor, and a frozen helmet that served as a crown.

The corners of his lips curved upwards to form a twisted smile as he looked down upon the relics laid out upon the table.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Robin."

* * *

 **Oh man, it's been a while since the last time I've written a serious chapter. The last one that was like this was [Renewal] and [A Dark Fall] (still kinda surprised that no one called me out on using a song's title from Fates. Maybe no one thought it important enough to call out and I'm getting too full of myself?). Every other chapter was a lot more light hearted with only a few scenes here and there that took a more serious mood.**

 **Anyhoo, this chapter was one that I wrote out even before I started writing this FanFic. It was actually the reason why this FanFic even became a thing. The thought of Robin having Alternis inside his head when Validar invades his mind was too good of an idea to pass up for me, so I wrote out that scene a long time ago. And now, here we are, five months into this story's life and I finally get to use the scene from so long ago.**

 **For the negotiation scene, I went through multiple ideas before finally ending up with the one in the story. I typed out that scene a bunch of times and scrapped just as many. Some of them had Reina involved instead of Robin, some had both of them, and others had a big fight scene. But I ended up with just Robin being there for simplicity's sake. That and because it'd really mess with the story if a giant fight broke out which caused Validar to cease the negotiations.**

 **Alternis appears, quite literally. I've something planned with him, so be on the lookout for that. Also, if anyone is curious as to the "horns" were on his hood, they're based off of the Dark Knight class/Alternis's helmet from Bravely Default. The color scheme for AA's Alternis is also based off of BD's Alternis. I was also thinking of giving AA-Alternis a sky blue colored shirt, but decided against it since that'd clash terrible with his outfit. Gotta go for fashion.**

 **And finally, after 23 chapters, there's a spark of a relationship between Robin and Lucina (mainly Lucina). Before it was more along the lines of two friends messing around, but this time, it was finally something that was leaning towards something a tad bit more intimate.**

 **Speaking of Lucina, her and Severa's identity is finally revealed. About time, right?**

 **Also, a new Deadlord. That makes two so far. And yes, I know that Draco is a male in Awakening, but Draco is a female in Thracia 776. I've never played that game, so the FE Wiki was all I had to go on. I'm sure that some of you, if not most, already figured out who Draco is. I've also hinted at four other Deadlords that are to appear.  
-Note on the Deadlords: Just like Achilles/Equus, I'll be bringing in characters from outside of the Fire Emblem universe as Deadlords. I haven't come across any FanFics that did this which boggles my mind. It's a FanFic. Where your imagination is your limit. I don't know why people haven't done this already. (If there are any FanFics out there that's done this, I apologize for I have yet to come across them. This is in no way me stating that this is an original idea, only one that's very uncommon)**

* * *

 **Review/Comment reply area:**

 **\- Matt Cyr: Yeah, the engagement ring part. Robin is generally a calm and collected person, so for him to get all flustered over that would be very out of character. And yes, as you guessed, I wrote that in a way that would happen in the realistic scenario (as realistic as a fantasy world with swords and magic can get, at least). And as for Alternis? In time, in time, though this chapter hinted at it.**

 **\- shiftfiredragon: Holy Naga in Grima's world below, how did that end up happening. Daga? xD Thanks for pointing that one out.**

 **\- Antex: Thank you for the support as always, and sorry, but only Robin met Validar again.**

* * *

 **So, that's all for now, and I'll see you all in the next one.**


	25. (XXIV) Red vs Blue

**Before we begin, I've one thing to say.**

 **Whoever thought it a good idea to make an entire selection of a certain blended beverage half off for ten days should be thrown into a ravine filled with baby excretions.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

A small sigh escaped the lips of a young woman in the midst of a couple dozen others. The sky above them was a monotonous blanket of grey as the Shepherds continued their walk back towards Regna Ferox, matching the feeling that was placed in Reina.

In front of her, Lucina and Severa were happily chatting with their parents, Chrom and Cordelia, to make up for the years lost. They had revealed themselves to the Shepherds earlier in the morning, to which the Shepherds surprisingly took pretty well. Reina expected them to be skeptical at first, but she clearly underestimated the bonds between the Shepherds.

Seeing the family in front of them was a heartwarming experience, one that she felt not too long ago with Marc. Looking beside her, a slight smile formed on her lips as she watched her time-traveling son walk with his head in a strategy guide that she had given him.

Just watching Marc filled Reina with a sense of pride. Marc's brain was like sponge that would endlessly absorb knowledge like water without a limit of saturation. She held no doubt that, with time, Marc would easily surpass both her and Robin in tactics and strategy. The only hurdle that Marc had to get over was how he held her in such a high regard, almost to the point that Reina was afraid that Marc would wither under the shadow of her that he himself created.

As for her counterpart, he'd been stuck in doldrums ever since the negotiations ended with Plegia. Normally, whenever Robin would be in such a state, Reina would hint to Morgan and Chrom that he'd need some company, to which the two of them would gladly oblige, but to no avail this time around. Even Lucina, the one that spent the most time with Robin, wasn't able to bring him out of his stupor.

Reina sighed once more, but this time, with a bit of annoyance aimed at Robin. Seeing how the Reina was Robin's alternate counterpart, she was able to get a good read on his thoughts and emotions a good majority of the time. She'd recognize the way his eyebrows narrow a fraction of an inch when in deep thought, or how his mouth would thin ever so slightly when he was talking about a subject he was uncomfortable with, and even the small glint in his eyes when he'd come up with a new plan. After all, those were the exact same mannerisms that she had.

With all that in mind, it wasn't difficult to discern the fact that Robin was brooding over his meeting with Validar and the Plegian Hierophant back in the capital. The Hierophant referred to himself as Robin, but the idea was quickly discarded amongst the Shepherds as having two Robins would only make things a lot more confusing and because Robin vehemently emphasized that the Hierophant was _not_ Robin.

The knowledge of a second Robin didn't sit well with Reina, but the thought Validar somehow being alive even though Reina was certain that both she and Robin killed him years ago was even more vexing. Reina watched the life leave his eyes as Robin released a _Thoron_ cast inside Validar's body, a spell that fried the high priest's insides.

 _ **Maybe Validar had some sort of magic that would bring him back from the brink of death?**_

 _I don't think so. I've never heard of such a magic that tampers with death._

 _ **But you never know. There's been a lot of contrasts between this world and yours.**_

 _Have…have you been searching through my memories?_

 _ **N-no…yes…**_

 _Damn it, Reflet…_

 _ **Hey, it's not my fault that there's nothing to do here. Besides, it's not like I'm intruding on your privacy since I'm a part of you, right?**_

 _I suppose._

 _ **I must say, however, you've quite the interesting taste in novels.**_

Reina paled.

 _Reflet, if you've been going through the memories that I think you've been going through, I will -_

 _ **I don't think even Cordelia or Sumia read this stuff. Quite erotic, indeed -**_

 _REFLET!_

 _ **Eh heh heh, it's not like you can do anything to stop me. Just consider yourself lucky that I'm confined here and unable to converse with those outside, such as our two Pegasus Knights. Who knows how they'd view you based on your choice of genres.**_

Reina's face flushed. It's not like she enjoyed reading those types of books; it's just that they were quite the interesting read. Not that she'd tell anyone. It was merely one of her guilty pleasures.

Slapping her cheeks with her hands, Reina saw Lissa try to engage Robin in a small chat. Not even three seconds later, Lissa's face dropped as Robin no attempt in holding a conversation. A flicker of annoyance passed through Reina. He seemed to be fine the night prior to their march back to Ferox when he talked with Henry, but he donned the gloomy persona once more at dawn. Even if he was in a bad mood, there was no reason to coldly disregard Lissa when she was trying to cheer him up.

Reina was about to go and reprimand Robin for his actions when someone else moved first. A flash of bright pink and yellow passed by Reina as Maribelle briskly walked over to Robin. The noble gently tapped Robin on the shoulder, and the moment he turned around, Maribelle's hand moved in a blur. Reina couldn't help but wince as a sharp sound of a palm striking a cheek split the air and the entirety of the Shepherds drew a collective gasp.

Maribelle blinked as if she just realized that she just slapped one of the highest ranking member of the Shepherds, the Exalt's right hand, and one of the most, if not _the_ most, powerful person on the continent. For a second, it looked like Maribelle was going to apologize when she raised her chin and straightened her back, true to her status and pride of a noble.

"Listen here, _Lord Tactician_." Maribelle crossed her arms while glaring at Robin. "I do not know, nor do I care, about what it is exactly that went on during the negotiations in Plegia, but this is in no way for one such as you to act! You are a tactician! Did you not say so yourself that a tactician must keep a level head at all times?"

Robin said nothing as he received Maribelle's tongue lashing with a blank look on his face.

"And though I may respect you as one of Ylisse's master tacticians, I will NOT forgive anyone that would dare harm my darling Lissa!"

The silence that fell upon the Shepherds was ironically deafening and the tension so thick that one could cut it with a knife. All eyes were on Maribelle and Robin as they waited for the latter's reaction. Every single one of the Shepherds were already envisioning Robin's wrath.

"…pfft…"

A ripple of confusion spread throughout the Shepherds.

The shoulders of the tactician started to tremble before he doubled over in laughter. Of all the reactions, this was the least expected.

"Thank you, Maribelle," Robin finally said as his laughter died down. "Such actions are unfitting my position and I deeply apologize for my recent attitude." Robin then performed a bow so graceful and elegant that both Maribelle and Virion were impressed. "Could you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"W-well, I suppose if you learned from your mistake, I can let you off," Maribelle managed, still surprised at Robin's demeanor. His movements rivaled - no, not even the stuck up nobles of Ylisse could move in such a fluid manner.

"But don't ever let me see you mistreating or hurting Lissa, or there will be dire consequences," Maribelle added.

A lighthearted smile formed on Robin's face. "Of course, milady."

Maribelle strutted off as she pulled Lissa along. She didn't say it, but Maribelle had newfound respect for the tactician.

"Were he to tell me that he was of noble birth, I wouldn't have doubted him," Maribelle muttered to herself.

 _Oh, my dear Maribelle,_ Reina wryly laughed to herself, overhearing Maribelle and not missing the slight pink on her cheeks. _If only you knew that Robin and I are technically the crown prince and princess of Plegia in both our worlds and this one._

The moment Maribelle was out of earshot, Gaius and Stahl both walked up and plopped their arms around Robin's shoulders.

"Damn, Bubbles, I didn't know you had it in ya!" Gaius grinned.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Robin replied.

"Robin, everyone knows that Maribelle has a very high standard for mannerisms and the like," Stahl said. "And you just impressed her in a single exchange. You even managed to extinguish her fiery tongue, something no one was able to do!"

Robin shrugged. "All I did was use some formalities when addressing her."

"HA!" Gaius barked. "Alright then, our humble tactician."

The viridian knight and sugar thief walked ahead while chuckling to themselves. The moment Gaius and Stahl were away, they were replaced by Cherche and Sumia, both of whom were also impressed with Robin's actions.

"Wow, Father is quite popular."

Reina looked beside her to see Robin's daughter, Morgan. The young girl had a curious look on her face as she was staring intently at her father.

"Ah, that's right, you don't know who your mother is," Reina recalled.

Morgan sadly shook her head. "I've been trying to search my memories, but I keep drawing blanks. I've also been talking with a lot of the other female Shepherds that seem to have taken a liking to Father, but that hasn't been helping."

"I have to agree. Your father is quite the charmer."

Reina and Morgan turned around to see Cordelia smiling at them. Frowning, Morgan turned to look back at Robin.

"I didn't know that Father was such a ladies man…"

Cordelia laughed. "It's not like Robin is trying to charm the women. It's just how he is. He just draws people to him unknowingly with his compassion and actions, especially the women."

Reina slyly raised an eyebrow at Cordelia. "Oh? Your words and tone make it seem like even you were also interested in him, Cor."

"Perhaps," Cordelia said with a small blush.

"No way!" Morgan gasped.

"Please, do not fret," Cordelia coaxed the young girl. "Once upon a time, yes, I did harbor an interest in Robin, but that time has long passed."

Morgan puffed out her cheeks and pouted.

"It's okay, Morgan."

Marc finally brought his head out from his book to speak for the first time.

"I don't remember my father, so I know how you feel," Marc comforted her.

The moment Marc said the word, " _father"_ , Reina's heart skipped a beat as she fidgeted with her hat. Her minute show of embarrassment didn't go unnoticed, however, as Cordelia donned a mischievous grin.

 ** _. . ._**

* * *

 ** _. . ._**

Two weeks passed since the negotiations took place in Regna Ferox. Two days for the trip back. Four days for the Plegian warships to arrive. Eight days getting all the supplies and cargo loaded onto the ships. And now, the armada of Plegian warships departed from the coast of Regna Ferox with the number of Ylisseans and Feroxi at 250,000. Only a quarter of the number of men Walhart the Conqueror had under his heel.

Reina stood at the bow of the ship, eyes set on the horizon. It took everything she had to not hurl her insides over the edge.

"Damn it…why now?" Reina groaned. "I never got seasick before, so why am I getting seasick now of all times?"

"It's not so bad. You should get used to it after a while."

Reina looked over her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed when she saw a certain flirtatious time traveler walk up to her with a confident looking smirk on his face.

"Inigo."

"What, not even a smile for me?" Inigo grinned.

"You would think that one would get the message after…what number are we up to? Twenty eight, I believe," Reina glowered.

"Ah ha ha…haa…it can't be that high," Inigo nervously laughed.

"Don't take a tactician's brain and her ability to keep count lightly, Inigo," Reina warned. "Why do you keep returning?"

Inigo grinned. "I only ask you time and time again because the effect that your beauty has on me is like seeing you for the first time all over again."

"How charming."

"Yes! I've finally succeeded!" Inigo nearly jumped in joy.

"That was sarcasm, Inigo."

"O-oh…" Inigo's face dropped for a moment before cheerfully smiling once more. "Well, I can always try next time!"

Reina let out an exasperated sigh.

 _ **Throw him off the boat.**_

 _No, Reflet, I can't do that._

 _ **Sure you can. You can easily pick him up by the scruff of his neck and toss him overboard. Just say that he tripped or lost his balance. No one will ever know.**_

 _Sorry, let me rephrase my line. I_ won't _do that._

 _ ***sigh* Alright, fine…**_

"So, is there any reason as to why you're here aside from trying to flirt?" Reina asked Inigo.

"I couldn't help but notice that you're suffering from seasickness," Inigo said, dropping his smile. "I'm here to offer you help."

Reina narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?"

"That's the best part! There is none!" Inigo grinned. "Though, I'd be more than happy to take you out to a - "

"Forget I asked."

"Ever the cold shoulder," Inigo dramatically sighed. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a couple pieces of candy before holding them out to Reina. "Here. Ginger candy from our sugar loving thief."

Reina raised an eyebrow at the pieces of candy now in her palm.

"Ginger?"

"Yup! Our sweets expert says that it'll help. And it works. I'm prone to seasickness myself, actually."

"I see. Thank you, Inigo," Reina smiled.

"Woo!" Inigo pumped his fist. "I actually managed to make you smile!"

Reina blinked. Before she could say anything else, Inigo turned on his heel and proudly left.

"You've a beautiful smile, by the way," Inigo said over his shoulder. "You should show it to _him_. I'm sure he won't be able to resist."

Heat rose to Reina's face as the face of a certain someone popped into her head. Had she really been so obvious that Inigo of all people was able to find out? She shook her head to clear her thoughts, immediately regretting the action as her queasiness returned ten-fold. Popping one of candies into her mouth, she once again looked towards the horizon, cursing Naga for making her suffer from sickness this time around.

 _ **. . .**_

Down in one of the ship's many quarters, a knock sounded on Robin's door.

"Come in," Robin called.

The door opened and Miriel and Ricken stepped inside Robin's room. Ricken was holding a small box in his hands.

"Greetings, Robin," Miriel greeted. "I've come to update you on the progress of the rings."

Closing the book he was currently reading, Robin sat up on his bed with interest.

"I'm listening."

Ricken walked over to Robin, handing him the small box.

"You will be pleased that the we've managed to devise a way to communicate over long distances," Miriel proudly stated. "All one must do is infuse a ring with their essence and the ring will bond with the owner. The owner must then depict a clear image of an owner of a different ring, hold the ring near his or her head, and speak."

Robin opened the small box, revealing six ornate rings within a velvet interior. Each ring was a different color, red, blue, green, gold, white, and purple, and every ring had a celtic design weaving around the entirety of the ring. Embedded in each ring were five tiny gems, roughly half the width of the ring, and depicting the color of each ring aside from its own.

"Unfortunately, we were only able to create six rings," Miriel added. "The gems and material required for it is exceedingly rare, and we were lucky to create even those in your hands."

"Sorry, Robin." Ricken lowered his head.

"Don't apologize," Robin smiled. "I feared that you'd only be able to create a couple of these rings, but the fact that you managed to create six is more than I could have asked for." Gently closing the box, Robin looked back up at the two mages. "You have my thanks."

"You should not only thank us, Robin," Miriel said as she adjusted her glasses. "We could not have done this without the aid of our dark mages, Tharja and Henry."

"Really?"

"Yeah, they helped out a lot!" Ricken grinned. "Tharja is the one that figured out a way to infuse your essence into the rings while Henry was the one that managed to cut down the amount of raw materials needed for each ring!"

"I see. I'll have to thank them as well," Robin hummed. "Oh, one question, how does one go about infusing their essence into a ring?"

"The answer is much simpler than you'd think," Miriel said. "A simple channeling of mana will suffice."

Robin nodded. "And for those who can't channel mana?"

"A mere ounce of blood onto the ring will serve as a replacement."

"…Tharja and Henry's idea?" Robin asked.

"Just Henry's."

Nodding once more, Robin opened the box to inspect the rings once more when another knock sounded from his door.

"Enter!" Robin called out.

The door opened for the second time and Lucina poked her head in.

"Robin - oh, I didn't realize you had company. Hello, Lady Miriel, Sir Ricken," Lucina greeted.

"Good afternoon, milady." "Hello, Princess Lucina!"

Lucina looked past the mages and at Robin. "Father has called for a meeting."

"Understood," Robin replied. Deciding that now would be a perfect opportunity to show the rings, Robin tucked the box under his arms, thanked the mages once more, and followed Lucina out of this room.

"If I may, what's in the box?" Lucina asked as they walked down the hall, eyeing the box curiously.

Robin grinned. "Secret. For now," he answered, earning him a frown from Lucina.

Arriving at one of the biggest rooms on the ship, Robin opened the door and gestured for Lucina to enter first.

"Took you long enough." Chrom threw Robin a smirk as they entered the room. "Any longer and I'd have considered you to be late."

"Chrom, please," Robin threw up a hand. "A tactician is never late, nor is he ever early. He arrives precisely when he means to."

"Gah ha ha!" Basilio's voice boomed throughout the room.

"I'd forgotten how quick-witted you are, tactician," Flavia snickered.

"So, any reason as to why the leaders of our army are all put together in this room? I appreciate the intimacy, but there are other ways to go about it," Robin quipped.

A wooden block flew across the room, pegging Robin on the head.

"As if we'd want to get close to you," Reina smirked.

"You realize that you insulting me is equivalent of insulting yourself," Robin retorted.

"Pfft, we all know I'm the prettier one," Reina said without missing a beat.

"Which isn't saying much," Cordelia said, a victorious grin on her face.

"..."

"..."

"BWA HA HA HA!"

Everyone in the room burst into laughter with the exception of Lucina and Frederick, the former not understanding what was so funny while the latter had a tiniest of smiles on his face. Once the laughter died down, Chrom leaned forward and a serious mood settled upon the room.

"A few minutes ago, one of our scouts spotted a Valmese fleet not too far from where we are, matching us ship for ship," Chrom said. "Normally, that wouldn't be such a bad thing, but their troops greatly outnumber us."

"While each of our vessels hold only half the maximum capacity allowed, each one of the Valmese ships are packed from stern to stern with soldiers," Frederick added.

"So, in layman's terms, they outnumber us two to one," Robin said, staring intently at a map laid out in front of them. "A straight-on fight and we'd be slaughtered…"

"We brought both you and Reina here in hopes that you could devise a plan that won't end up in a massacre." Flavia shifted the weight on her legs. "While Plegia spared no men to our cause, they were quite generous in the supplies, especially the oil. Perhaps your brains can come up with a plan?"

Robin and Reina locked eyes. In an instant, they both came up with the same plan.

"Perhaps our brains can," Reina grinned.

The temperature in the room dropped as a sinister looking smile formed on both of the tacticians' faces.

"Oh no, I recognize that look in your eyes," Basilio groaned. "You've come up with another absurd idea, haven't you?"

"The best ideas are also the craziest ones," Robin gleefully said.

"Something tells me that I'm not going to like what I hear…" Basilio grumbled.

"Hush, oaf," Flavia hissed, smacking the West-Khan on the arm. "Let the tacticians speak."

"Thank you, Flavia," Robin nodded at the khan. "So, here's the plan. We light our ships on fire."

Silence fell on the room as every head turned to Robin.

"…what." Chrom stared at Robin.

"The oaf was right," Flavia sighed. "This is absurd."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Chrom shook his head. "Sad thing is, I'm not even mildly surprised at Robin's plan… It's like I was expecting it. But still, I have to ask. Why?"

"Bah! I know better than to question them," Basilio barked. "I just hope that the gods will spare us from whatever plan that they've come up with this time."

"Perfect, then Khan Basilio, Khan Flavia, if you would, please proceed to relocate all the soldiers that are on the front half of the fleet to the second half," Reina said, clapping her hands together. "There should be more than enough room to accommodate for the extra soldiers on the ships."

"Why in gods name - gah!" Basilio threw up his hands as he and Flavia left the room.

"As for us, a select few will board their lead ship and kill their admiral," Robin continued. "This is going to be extremely dangerous, so I would rather not take anyone that's important - "

"I'm going," Chrom cut in, shooting a look at Robin.

"Okay, not important, you're in," Robin replied without blinking.

"Wh- what the- Robin!" Chrom sputtered.

Robin smirked. "You brought that on yourself. How could I not take that opportunity?"

Chrom groaned, realizing that he played right into Robin's verbal trap.

"Anyways, a team of our best fighters, Chrom included, will board the lead ship, and kill the admiral," Reina explained. "Once the admiral is dead, the rest of the Shepherds will send forth our empty ships that are soaked in oil at the rest of the Valmese fleet. With either a simple spell or a precariously placed torch, fire."

A small glint flashed in Frederick's eyes when Reina finished explaining the plan, but it went by unnoticed by the rest of the room's occupants.

"Of course, the fighter group will have jump ship unless they wish to join the Valmese," Reina nonchalantly added. "Any questions? None? Good."

The remaining members in the room started to get up when Robin stopped them.

"Wait, one last thing," Robin suddenly said, placing the box of rings on the table and opening the lid. "I wish to give you all one of these."

"R-Robin…are these - ?" Lucina started.

"You could've taken us out to dinner first," Chrom smirked.

"We all know that you'd agree even without the dinner," Cordelia laughed.

"I assume that these are not mere rings to show your affection for us?" Frederick asked with a hint of playfulness.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "I never thought I'd see the day when Frederick joins in on our banter. But, to answer your question, yes. These rings are an idea from the Miriel of my world."

Robin proceeded to hand a ring to everyone in the room. Red for Chrom, Blue for Cordelia, Green for Frederick, White for Reina, Gold for Lucina, and Purple for himself. Lucina's heart jumped when Robin handed her hers, but no one needed to know that.

"These rings are communication rings, created through the joint efforts of Miriel, Ricken, Tharja, and Henry," Robin explained. "They'll allow us to communicate instantly over great distances, making it an invaluable tool in the coming war."

Everyone's eyes widened as they looked down at the rings in awe.

"Th-that's insane!" Reina marveled.

"All that's left is to either channel a bit of mana into it, or place a drop of blood on it, and then the ring will activate," Robin finished.

Putting the ring on his left pointer finger, Robin channeled mana into the ring. A violet colored light emanated from the ring momentarily before fading. On the rings of everyone else, one of the five gems on the ring turned purple, signifying that Robin's ring successfully activated.

Following Robin's example, Reina and Lucina channeled mana into their rings. A white and golden glow shone from their respective rings, followed by two gems on Robin, Chrom, Frederick, and Cordelia's rings turning gold and red.

With a knife, Chrom proceeded to poke one of his fingers deep enough to draw a bit of blood before handing the knife over to Cordelia. Frederick visibly stiffened at the sight of his lord's blood, but said nothing as he understood the reasons behind it. A few more knife pokes later and three drops of blood onto the rings and the five gems on everyone's rings was lit up in a different color.

"Perfect, we're all set!" Robin cheerfully said.

"Just one question: how do we actually communicate through these rings?" Reina asked.

Robin placed a hand on his chin as he thought back to Miriel's explanation.

"Miriel said that you'd have to get a clear image of the person you want to speak to in your mind, place the ring near your head, then speak," Robin recalled. "I'll test this out."

Placing his left hand on his temple, Robin thought of who he should talk to and what he should say. Not a moment later, Chrom let out a yelp as he jumped backwards.

"What the - Robin, I just heard your voice in my head!" Chrom gasped.

"Huh, I didn't say anything though…" Robin frowned.

Chrom shook his head. "I distinctly heard you ask, ' _Who should I talk to, and what should I say?'_ "

Robin's eyes widened. "No way…that was indeed what I was thinking."

' _Boo.'_

"GAAH!" Robin jumped in the air as Reina started laughing.

"I'm going to have so much fun with this!" Reina flashed a wild grin.

Groaning, Robin continued.

"Oh, just one thing about these rings," Robin said, clearing his throat and throwing Reina a glare. "You can only communicate with those that have another ring, meaning, only the six of us in this room will be able to communicate with one another."

"Why only us?" Cordelia asked, puzzled.

Robin bit his lip. "Making even a single one of these rings is costly, and I don't mean in just gold. They require a substance called 'Materia'."

"Materia?" Reina gasped. "I thought those were just myths!"

"Well, you were myth-taken (mistaken)," Robin grinned, proud of his pun. "Anyways, as you probably guessed from Reina's outburst, Materia is exceedingly rare, and due to it's rarity, we have very limited knowledge of it. All I know, and this is from years of study back from my world, is that Materia is a crystallized form of energy. What kind of energy, no one knows."

"How did you come across the Materia needed for these rings?" Reina asked, looking at her ring almost reverently.

"I didn't," Robin simply answered. "The Miriel of my world did, and even then, it was just two small shards, each no bigger than my finger. It was a wonder and a blessing that we were able to get our hands on not only two, but six rings in total, thanks to Henry."

"I appreciate the thought, but why were we the ones to receive such an item?" Frederick asked.

"To be fair, it was only supposed to be between Chrom and I so that we could relay information back and forth in the middle of a battle," Robin bluntly said. "When Miriel told me that she managed to procure six rings, I immediately thought of who else I should give a ring to. Reina was an obvious choice. Frederick and Cordelia were also easy to pick out since you'll each be leading an army division.

Lucina pursed her lips. "And as for me?"

"We can't have our dear princess from the future and the Exalt's daughter feeling left out, can we?" Robin grinned. "Besides, I'm sure your doting parents would be worried sick for you in the midst of a battle."

For some odd reason, Lucina's heart fell at Robin's reasoning, but as usual, did not know why.

"But I'm sure that there's plenty of suitable candidates for - "

"Lucina," Robin cut her off, placing his hands on Lucina's shoulders. "I gave you this ring because I wanted to. These rings are powerful, and in the wrong hands, can lead to disastrous problems. I chose the people in this room specifically because each one you has my utmost trust. Understand?"

The princess nodded, her chest swelling with pride and joy.

"Great!" Robin smiled as he clapped his hands on Lucina's shoulders. "With the matter of rings out of the way, I believe we're done here. With luck, the Khans will have relocated all the soldiers. All that's left is to deal with the Valmese's admiral."

"You got everything, Morgan, Marc?" Reina suddenly said, looking in the direction of the door.

Only Robin and Reina didn't seem surprised as a clicking sound was heard from the door's latch. The door slowly creaked open as the two young tacticians sheepishly walked in.

"How'd you know we were there?" Marc asked.

"I'm your mother, Marc," Reina reminded him. "I think I'd know what you'd do in this situation, being an aspiring tactician and all."

"Cheer up!" Robin laughed, rustling Morgan's hair. "You can help us decide who to being on the lead group."

"You do that," Reina devilishly grinned. "I'll be having fun with these rings."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

' _Cordelia, the enemy archers are down,'_ Reina mentally said.

' _Understood!'_ Cordelia replied.

A moment later, a wyvern, dragon, and two pegasi took to the skies as Reina beheaded a Valmese knight. Splitting her Rakuyo into two blades, Reina twirled in a circle with her blades outstretched, slicing open the chests of four Valmese who were surrounding her, but more kept coming from the two ships that were on both sides on the Shepherds' ship.

A few feet away from her, Marc was just as skilled with his version of Rakuyo as he swung both blades in a continuous motion, one after the other. Just like Reina would do so often, Marc coated his blades in magic, alternating between different elemental magics to suit his current situation. He would use _Lightning_ to easily pierce the heavy armor of knights, _Fire_ for explosive hits, and _Wind_ to swing his blades in a blur to slice down the enemies that were more agile.

As she watched in pride, Cordelia's presence once again appeared in Reina's head.

' _Reina, I've troubling news.'_

' _Go ahead, Cor.'_

' _The Valmese flagship is approaching with another. The first two ships they sent was meant to soften us up.'_

Reina clicked her tongue.

' _Alright. Have your group distract them for as long as you can, but do not take any unnecessary risks. Return to us when it gets too dangerous.'_

' _Roger that.'_

As Cordelia's presence faded, Reina looked to the skies just in time to witness Nowi spit a fireball from her open maw. The fireball detonated in a massive explosion on the Valmese flagship. Reina was able to see a few Valmese soldiers being thrown off the ship before turning her attention back to the fight she was in the middle of. Surprisingly, they had yet to encounter the new weapon that the Valmese used against the Feroxi fleet during the initial invasion, but Reina was grateful for that. Encountering those weapons would be quite troublesome.

Cutting down another soldier, Reina's ears picked up a very loud voice.

"Take this! LUMINOUS SWORD!"

A green glow enveloped Owain's sword as he swung it down on a Valmese commander. Blocking the blow with his shield, he bashed his shield at Owain, who deftly dodged it.

"For you to have blocked one of my moves, you are truly one of uncommon lineage!" Owain exclaimed, dramatically twirling his sword around. "But, Fate is not with you today, for I, Owain Dark, am your opponent! And with this move, I shall - WOAH!"

Tired of Owain's banter, the knight lunged forward with his spear, nearly gutting Owain in the process.

"You vile cur! To disrupt me is to welcome death! Then so be it!"

Performing a marvelous backflip, Owain raised his sword high into the air.

"Heed my call, o Sword of Promised Victory!"

A golden light started to surround the blade.

"Ecks…" The blade started to shine brilliantly as Owain swung his sword down. Whatever word he said was lost as powerful wave of golden energy erupted from the edge of his blade. The wooden flooring of the ship was torn to splinters as the golden shockwave shot out into the open wastes, nearly cleaving the ship in two.

Grinning proudly, Owain stood up straight just as Severa smacked him on the head.

"What were you thinking?!" Severa yelled. "You could've sunk this ship with all of us still on board!"

Laughing to herself, Reina twirled her swords in her hands as she looked around. Vaike and Virion were having a small argument as to who got more kills in this skirmish, Gregor, Stahl, and Frederick worked together to bring down a small group of Valmese, and Libra brought his axe down on a poor soldier who took him as an easy target.

Behind Libra, Lissa and Maribelle were chanting in unison as a white light shone from their hands. All three healers had practiced Light magic thanks to the tomes Robin recovered. To little surprise, the healers easily grasped the essence of the magic as it was closely tied to healing magic. Reina watched as a pale-white blade in the shape of a half moon descended upon two Valmese, downing them instantly.

"Stay focused!"

Lon'qu was suddenly next to her as he sliced the head off a Valmese soldier who attempted to sneak up on Reina. In doing so, he left a blind spot open which another Valmese took advantage of before he found Reina's blade lodged in his chest.

"I should say the same to you," Reina grinned.

"…I had that…" Lon'qu muttered.

"I'm sure you did," Reina smirked.

 _ **. . .**_

Far below the Shepherds' ship, three individuals were not partaking in the fight up on deck. Robin took Gaius and Morgan off on a separate mission to take out the enemy commander in a single sweep. While he struggled to untie a dinghy, Reina's voice reverberated in Robin's head.

' _Robin, you got all that?'_ Reina asked. _"Incoming Valmese flagship."_

' _Loud and clear. Hold them off for…five minutes.'_

"Hm? Did you say something, Bubbles?"

Robin looked over his shoulder.

"Just getting update from Reina," Robin answered. "I keep forgetting that you have sharp ears."

"And as I keep reminding you, it's something you need when you're in my line of work," Gaius said.

"I thought you were no longer a thief?" Morgan chirped from behind Gaius.

"Your father likes to send me out on some thieving missions every now and then."

"I tell you to do recon, not steal things," Robin corrected. "You bringing back enemy plans and reports is merely an extra that you choose to do."

"That's your fault for tempting me with sweets!" Gaius complained.

"I do no such thing. I only happen to have some sweets nearby or on my person when I come across you."

Gaius let out a defeated sigh, knowing full well that he had no chance in winning a word battle with Robin. Laughing, Robin looked at his daughter.

"Take note, Morgan," Robin chided. "Sometimes, all you need to persuade someone is a little incentive."

"Don't corrupt your daughter," Gaius groaned.

"Oh, I already knew that," Morgan said. "It was one of the first things that you indirectly taught me."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Indirectly?"

"Mhmm!" Morgan nodded. "I constantly watched you bicker back and forth with Grand- AGH!"

"Morgan!" Robin immediately rushed over to Morgan's side.

"I-I'm alright," Morgan gasped.

Taking a few seconds to regulate her breathing, Morgan gave Robin a weak thumbs up. A sudden explosion above deck rocked the boat, throwing the three down below off balance. Steadying himself, Robin glanced up at the ceiling.

"Let's get this thing ready to go," Robin said, turning his attention back to the dinghy.

Struggling once more with the ropes, Robin couldn't help but wonder who it was that Morgan tried to refer to.

 ** _. . ._**

Up above, Chrom sneezed.

"Gah! What the - !"

A Valmese soldier was in middle of wiping away Chrom's saliva from his face when he was cut down by Chrom.

"Sorry about that," Chrom sniffed. "About the sneeze and killing you."

"Are you alright, Father?" Lucina asked, her voice thick with worry. "Did you catch a cold?"

"I'm fine, Lucina," Chrom laughed. "Just a sneeze."

Nodding, Lucina turned her attention to three knights were boarding the Shepherds' ship. The one in the front had a intricately detailed helmet, so Lucina took him to be a high ranking knight, and set him as her first target.

"Simmons, you're up!" the lead knight barked, pointing his sword at Lucina. "These filthy blues are all over the place! Get to work!"

"Yes, Sarge!"

Simmons, a lightly armored knight in with maroon colored markings on his armor leveled his spear at Lucina.

"But, if I may," Simmons turned his head to Sarge. "Your armor looks very polished today! The red linings is bold and striking, and without a doubt, it - "

Whatever Simmons had left to say went unsaid as Lucina took advantage of his lack of attention to kick him overboard, snapping his spear in half.

"Ha!" The third knight, also lightly dressed in armor but with orange markings, laughed and pointed at Simmons who was floating above the water. "Hey, Simmons! How's the water!"

"Private Grif!" Sarge pulled the orange armored knight forward. "Simmons's spear broke again! Weapon maintenance was YOUR responsibility!"

"Heh, well I guess - BWAHH!"

Grif let out a very strange sound of pain as Lucina also kicked him overboard, sending him down into the water next to Simmons.

"You idiots!" Sarge barked. "Let me show you how it's done!"

Not a second later, Lucina's leg lashed out a third time, followed by a third splash, and Sarge joined his men in the water.

"Great demonstration, Sarge," Grif sarcastically said.

"Shut it…"

Lucina shook her head. The Valmese were renowned as one of the greatest military forces on the planet, yet the three she just fought lacked any sort of discipline. Clearing her head, Lucina moved to join the fight once more alongside her father.

' _Blue team is heading back, only the flagship is left.'_ Cordelia announced to everyone through the rings. ' _Sorry, Rei, we couldn't do much.'_

' _You've done plenty, Cordelia, more than I could've asked for,'_ Reina replied. ' _I'll make room for your team to land safely.'_

' _Much obliged.'_

A powerful wind suddenly blew from Lucina's right. A green whirlwind formed in the center of the Valmese ship as dead bodies and debris were thrown into the water, creating a landing area for Blue Team.

' _How far away is the flagship?'_ Chrom asked.

' _Only a few minutes away,'_ Cordelia answered as she landed.

Cutting down the last of the Valmese on the ship, Chrom smiled. "Perfect timing. Shepherds! Take a small breather!"

The weary Shepherds lowered their arms, some of them panting. Vaike and Gregor took out their waterskins while Lissa, Libra, and Maribelle rushed around to tend to the Shepherds' wounds. As the Valmese ship drew closer, the Shepherds rallied around Chrom. Lucina heard her mother and Reina congratulate Nowi on blowing a hole in the Valmese's partner ship, sinking it.

The Valmese flagship slowed to a stop next to the Shepherds' battered ship. Fresh troops rushed to the deck, their red and grey armor shining in the sunlight. The Shepherds readied their weapons as one to prepare themselves for another fight.

For a minute, nothing happened. Confused looks were being thrown around on both the Shepherds' side and the Valmese.

"Ylisseans!"

A large figure in a full set of bulky plate armor pushed past the line of Valmese. Taking off his helmet, figure revealing a slightly aged face with a scar running down diagonally between his eyes.

"Pfft, he's got a receding hairline," Reina snickered, earning a small laugh of agreement from a few of the Shepherds, and a guffaw from Vaike and Gregor.

Oblivious to Reina's comment, the man took another step forward.

"I am Admiral Ignatius!" Ignatius voice was almost as loud as Basilio's. "Kneel before me and I will not kill all of you! You are in the way of Master Walhart's path of conquest!"

"I don't think so," Chrom calmly replied, pointing Falchion at Ignatius. "We bend our knees to no one."

"Arrogant pup!" Ignatius growled. "Very well. If that is your choice, then I welcome you to my home…and your grave!"

As the admiral vanished behind his line of soldiers, the Valmese lowered two large planks to board the Shepherds' ship.

"Frederick, Lucina, Chrom, to the front!" Reina called out. "Henry, Virion, take down as many as you can! Do not attempt to board their ship!"

"Mother!"

Reina quickly looked over at Marc to see a sapphire colored ball of energy in his hands.

"It's ready," Marc said.

"Well done!" Reina beamed. "With me, then."

Raising her arm out at the Valmese flagship, a mass of mana started to gather at Reina's fingertips. High above the center of the flagship, a blue magic circle appeared.

"Marc, now!"

"DIAMOND BERG!"

A massive block of ice crashed down onto the deck, crushing any Valmese that was unfortunate to be standing underneath it. The ones near the edge of the ship were tossed over from the sudden and violent rocking of the ship, and the ones that were walking across the boarding planks also lost their balance as they fell towards the water.

Marc collapsed onto one knee, breathing heavily from the strain of the magic he performed.

"You did good," Reina praised, gently rubbing Marc's back. "Take a short time to rest."

Marc shook his head. "If…if all went well, Mor-Morgan and Robin should…should be done any second now," he said between gulps of air.

As if on cue, a sudden explosion erupted from the center of the Valmese flagship, nearly engulfing the entire deck in flames. After a few moments, the smoke and fire cleared as two robed figures and a thief stepped into view.

"Seriously, Bubbles, you should've told me those things packed so much of a punch," Gaius complained.

"To be fair, I didn't know that either," Robin sighed, brushing off a bit of soot from his shoulder. "I know how powerful they'd be individually, but underestimated a bunch of them together."

"THAT WAS SO COOL!" Morgan cheerfully exclaimed.

Looking around, Robin finally noticed the Shepherds across him. Most of them were staring at him with perplexed looks.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 _~ Roughly five minutes earlier ~_

"This is either madness or brilliance…"

Gaius was standing on the dinghy in the water between two giant warships, one being the Valmese Flagship and the other carrying all the Shepherds.

"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide," Robin muttered. "Anyways, let's get going. The fighting is going to start soon."

"Righty-o."

Leaping off the small dinghy, Gaius plunged his dagger into the side of the flagship and started climbing. Reaching the lowest window, he disappeared. A few seconds passed before Gaius's head poked back out, giving Robin and Morgan a quick nod.

"Alright, Morgan, up you go." Robin gestured for Morgan to go up.

Nodding, Morgan created a gust of wind from her feet to propel her upwards. The wind caused the small dinghy to shake back and forth, nearly toppling Robin over as he made sure that Morgan made it safely into the enemy ship. Confirming that she was able to climb through the window, he shot a _Arcthunder_ at the dinghy and jumped before the humble boat sank beneath the waves.

Grabbing onto the windowsill, Robin pulled himself in. Lightly landing on the wooden floors, he took a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dim lighting of the room. Soon, he was able to make out the small details of crates, stands, and the closed door that led out into the halls. Morgan was standing by the door while Gaius had his ear to the floor.

"No one's on this level or the levels below us." Gaius lifted his head off the ground. "Judging from the amount of footsteps and clanking metal, they're all up above, getting ready to fight."

"Lucky us," Robin said. "Let's make this quick."

The three quietly left the room. Shuffling down the halls of the ship, Gaius led them towards the level just below the deck of the ship. Reaching into his coat, Robin took out three circular shaped…things attached to a leather cord from his pockets.

"You never did explain to us what those are," Gaius whispered.

"Explosives," Robin replied, handing Morgan and Gaius one of the explosives each. "They're basically primed _Elfires_ that are contained in this seal. Strip off the adhesive layer, light the fuse, and throw it onto any surface. A few seconds later, boom."

Gaius let out a low whistle. "How'd you come up with this?"

"I didn't. Miriel did. She started experimenting ever since the night that you joined when the assassins used an explosive to infiltrate the castle."

"Ah."

Holding his explosive by the leather cord, Robin peeled off the thin layer of adhesive surrounding it as Morgan and Gaius did the same.

"Gaius, once you light it, throw yours into that corner." Robin pointed at the nearest corner on his right. "Morgan, you throw yours onto that bundle of oil barrels over there." Robin pointed at a large pile of wooden barrels behind a support pillar. "Light them on three."

The three Shepherds each turned towards their respective areas. "One…two…THREE!"

Robin, lighting the fuse on his explosive, lobbed the small explosive onto a wall that he designated as his target. With a soft thud, the bomb stuck onto the wall as the adhesive did its work. He turned around just in time to see Gaius dust his hands off with his own explosive stuck perfectly in the top corner of the room.

The two of them then turned to Morgan, who reeled her arm back in preparation to throw her explosive. With a mighty yell, Morgan threw small ball in her hand with all her might…and hit the support pillar that was a foot in front of her.

A deafening silence fell upon the room.

"That…was the worst throw…ever…of all time…"

Robin couldn't even figure out what Gaius's tone was. Disappointment? Disbelief? Shock?

"Not my fault. Someone put a wall in my way," Morgan quipped.

"GET DOWN!"

Robin grabbed the two and roughly pulled them close to the floor where he erected a barrier around them. Not a second later, their entire world seemed to be set ablaze as the three explosives detonated simultaneously. The heat from the flames was nearly insufferable, even through Robin's barrier. The flooring was shattered into countless pieces and it was by Robin's control over wind magic that they didn't fall, but Robin's face was visibly strained from having to keep three people afloat while also keeping up a barrier against such an explosion.

Finally, when the havoc seemed like it would never end, the explosions and flames subsided. Small rays of sunlight managed to pierce through the immense cloud of dust from above and Robin brought them all up above deck.

"That - that was…" Robin coughed, failing to find the right words as he dispelled his magic.

"That was quite something," Gaius finished for him, shaking his hair free of dust. "Seriously though, Bubbles, you should've told us that those things packed so much of a punch."

"To be fair, I didn't know that either," Robin tiredly said, dusting his shoulder. "I know how powerful they'd be individually, but underestimated a bunch of them together."

A wide grin was plastered on Morgan's face.

"THAT WAS SO COOL!" Morgan squealed, earning a glare from both Robin and Gaius.

Robin was about to reprimand his daughter when he felt the large number of eyes fixated on him. Looking forward, he saw the Shepherds standing across the gap between the Valmese flagship that he was currently on and the ship he left from.

"Hey." Robin casually waved a hand at Chrom.

"Don't 'hey' me," Chrom said. "What was that?"

"Gonna have to be a little more specific than that," Robin smirked. "But before that, we should really get ready to jump. Our little explosion served as the signal for the our ships to move."

Sure enough, roughly two-fifth of the Ylissean ships raised their sails. Green wind could be seen blowing from behind the sails from the stationary ships, giving the bombing ships a much faster speed than normal.

"Chrom!"

Chrom looked over at Reina. She was standing by the edge of the ship with a large slide made of ice to safely leave.

"EVERYONE OFF!" Chrom ordered, pointing at Reina's ice slide.

Reina jumped first in order to continuously extend the ice far away from the Valmese fleet. Some of the Shepherds let out a playful yell as they slid down.

Blue team, consisting of Nowi, Cherche, Cordelia, and Sumia, each took a Shepherd along. Chrom was with Cordelia, Frederick with Sumia, Gregor on Nowi's dragonic back, and Stahl was sitting behind Cherche while Minerva carried a dangling Virion in her claws.

Soon, only Robin, Lucina, and Morgan remained. Morgan jumped onto the slide without hesitation with a wide grin on her face.

"WOOOOOooooooo!"

Morgan's cheerful voice quickly softened as she put distance between her and the ship.

"You first."

Robin raised an eyebrow at Lucina, who took a step back from the slide. Her shaking hands gripped the railing so tightly that Robin thought she would break the railing.

"Lucina…" Robin tenderly reached out to her. "Are…are you afraid of heights?"

"W-wha - of course not!" Lucina's cheeks turned red as she denied Robin's accusation. "I-it's just that - what if I miss and fall?"

Robin blinked. He was joking about her being afraid of heights, but her reaction just now confirmed it. The princess from a dire future that traveled back through time being afraid of heights? Robin couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Wh-what?"

"Nothing, nothing," Robin replied as he wiped a tear from his eye.

Taking a deep breath, he gave Lucina a mischievous smile.

"Sorry about this."

"Sorry about what - HYAA!"

Robin picked Lucina up in a bridal carry and jumped off the ship as the princess let out a surprised scream.

Her screams of terror soon turned into mirthful laughter as the wind rushed by the two. Lucina momentarily forgot about everything as she experienced a slide for the first time, and her excitement was raised further when Robin cast a gust of wind behind him to give them a small boost.

Their speed was so great that they passed the 'bomb' ships in a blur. Normally, they'd have supposed to slow down by now as Reina created a large, circular platform made of ice. A thin carpet of magically created snow was laid out on top of the platform so that the Shepherds wouldn't slide everywhere, but it didn't slow the incoming two in the slightest as Robin and Lucina slid past the platform and onto the water.

"Lucina!"

Chrom ran over to the ice's edge. He was a second away from jumping into the water to find her when he heard a small popping sound from behind him, quickly followed by laughter.

"Sorry, Lucina," Robin chuckled. "I completely forgot we had to slow down at the end."

"It's quite alright," Lucina replied, her cheeks sore from laughing so much. "It was fun while it lasted."

"Oi, check it out!" Vaike suddenly said, pointing in the direction of the Valmese fleet.

The group of Shepherds all gathered just in time to see the first of the "bombing" ships collide with the Valmese fleet. Then they saw nothing but an inferno as the torches that were precariously placed over the oil soaked ships roared to life. The flames quickly spread amongst the ships, each one setting another ablaze. Soon, all the Shepherds were seeing was a stretch of fire on top of the ocean, like a great wall of flames.

"Unbelievable…" Frederick muttered.

"The - the sea itself is on fire!" Lissa exclaimed.

"It worked!" Vaike laughed. "It worked!"

The Shepherds gathered on the small ice island cheered. Not a second later, the entire army of Ylisseans and Feroxi behind them also threw up a cheer, their voices shaking the air itself.

"My word, I don't think anyone but our tacticians could hatch such a scheme!" Virion flashed a smile. "To convert two fifths of our vessels into flaming cannonballs?"

Lucina turned to look at Robin with a smile, but faltered instantly as she saw the look on Robin's face. It was one of sorrow, anguish, and self-loathing. The same, pained look was on Reina's face as well as she forced herself to look away from the fires. Lucina couldn't fathom as to why they'd feel as such. The two of them brought the Shepherds an overwhelming victory, so why? Why was it that their eyes held so much sadness?

Then she heard it.

The screams. The pain. The agony.

Everyone else must've heard it as well as they sobered up immediately. Even across the great distance between the Shepherds and the Valmese fleet, they were able to hear the cries from the Valmese army as they slowly burned to death. Even the water wouldn't be safe as the oil lit the very sea aflame and the heat would boil them alive. This was almost along the lines of torture, and the Shepherds knew it.

Fighting back the urge to hurl up her lunch, Lucina tore her gaze away from the burning wreckage. No one would be celebrating this victory tonight.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"Impressive."

Grima gazed upon a crystal orb in front of him. The image of the burning Valmese fleet was displayed on the orb as Grima placed the crystal on a desk in front of him.

"I have to admit, not even I would've thought of that," Grima chuckled. "Then again, I wouldn't have had to as I could've sunk the entire fleet with a single breath. No matter."

The image on the orb shifted, now showing Robin. The flames could be seen reflecting off his hazel colored eyes as he boarded one of the many Ylissean ships.

"Oh, now this is perfect!" Grima cackled. "Your heart is in turmoil, Robin. It's torn between your morals and your actions!"

Standing up, Grima threw out a dark energy from his hands. The energy quickly took form, creating a small gate of darkness.

"I think I'll pay you a visit now, Robin. It's time we had a small chat."

* * *

 **I'm going to cry if no one got that RvB reference. I blatantly referenced the series in multiple ways, from character names, to their lines, memorable quotes, and even to the title of this chapter. Seriously, it was such an opportune moment. Valmese is in red armor while the Shepherds are in blue (at least, their sprites are when you control them). Classic Red vs Blue.**

 **Also threw in a Fate/Zero easter egg, in the name of an OST's title.**

 **That and another OST's title from SAO.**

 **And a quote from Galdalf the Grey, though slightly tweaked.**

 **And a giant FF7 reference, though also slightly tweaked.**

* * *

 **With the easter-eggs and stuff out of the way, let's talk about the chapter a little, specifically, the many forms of speech/dialogue. Since this will most likely confuse some of you if not properly addressed, I'll explain it quickly.**

"This is how I'll be writing normal dialogue."

 _This is how I'll be writing the thoughts of a character, such as Robin._

 _ **This is how I'll be writing the voices of Alternis and Reflet.**_

" _This is how I'll be writing dialogue through the mind, like when Validar spoke to Robin in the previous chapter. Keep in mind that it's a quotation mark (") and not an apostrophe ('). It was also used with Alternis when he took a physical-ish form alongside Validar."_

' _And this is how I'll be writing dialogue through the use of communication rings, like in this chapter. Note that it's not a quotation mark ("), but rather, an apostrophe (').'_

 **And completely bold for my own A.N. and stuff. Very minor differences in the different speech patterns, ESPECIALLY the last two. There's going to be exceptions such as when a character quotes someone while talking, but that'd appear as such:  
** "This is Person A is speaking normally, ' _and this is when Person A quotes Person B while speaking'_ , and then Person A finishes speaking."  
 **Yes, I know that normally it'd be a quotation mark (") that's used when quoting someone, but I'm purposefully keeping them as apostrophes (') because seeing two back to back can be a little jarring at times. Another thing would be** _ **italicizing**_ **the quotes, but I may forget to do so every now and then. But hey, that's what re-reading/re-editing is for, right?**

 **Hopefully that all that made sense.**

* * *

 **Now, with that large wall of text out of the way, onto the actual chapter itself.**

 **Like with many other chapters, I've gone through a bunch of ideas on how this chapter should go. The first one was simply following the game, with one boat for the Shepherds and three Valmese, but I quickly found that I wasn't enjoying what I was writing and reading. So that got scrapped. A bunch of different ideas being tossed around, and here we are, with sticky bombs being used during an infiltration and an ice slide as their form of extraction.**

 **The sticky bombs were based off the plasma grenades from Halo and the gooey bomb from Super Smash Bros. Then I made them into a way that they'd make sense in this world and this is what I got. A beanbag-like grenade with a cord attached to it.**

 **Robin gets slapped by Maribelle. Hints at Robin being a woman-magnet (not really).**

 **Communication rings, or just Comms. Those have been an idea since nearly the beginning of this story's life. It, like many other ideas, have gone through a number of revisions until I was satisfied with what I got here. There's a secondary effect/role to the rings aside from just comms, but that's for a later chapter.**

 **Also, a lot more focus of Reina in this chapter. I feel as though I've been neglecting her even though she's one of the main MAIN characters.**

* * *

 **Review/Comment Reply Area Thing:**

 **\- Matt Cyr: A RWBY Deadlord? That sounds like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the last episode I watched of RWBY was the first episode of Volume 3. So, if I am to make a RWBY Deadlord, I'll have to catch up on it, unless you already have a character in mind. If so, I'll be happy to hear your idea for one. |  
| As for Robin and his memories, that's a subject I never had a chance to touch up on (though it was briefly mentioned a couple chapter ago), so I guess now's a better time than ever. In Robin's original world, he lost his memories. Rather, they were stolen by Validar in a failed attempt to fully control him as Robin fled Plegia, which is the beginning of his story. Then he goes through the original story of Awakening until the start of THIS story. And the rest is history. He never regained his stolen memories, so all he has is the memories from the start of his first run-through til now.**

 **\- XenoEmblem4TW: You wouldn't be wrong. || Tbh, I think Robin acting as such would be the natural course of action in this scenario. He had dreams of someone in his very attire showing him a ruined world, Lucina comes to tell him of Grima's return, and Validar appears from the dead with a doppelganger? Who wouldn't?**

 **\- Artyom-Dreizehn: Yup!**

 **\- Antex: I know. I feel like I've put it aside for too long, though this technically is the part of the game when Lucina actually reveal herself, so…yeah…no harm done. || And Draco? Nah, not F!Corrin.**

 **\- Girantina Zero: Many thanks for the heartwarming words. I never thought that I would be an inspiration in any sort of way, so for you to have even thought of picking up the story (which is great, btw), I don't even know what to say. I'm at a loss for words. Thank you.**

 **\- SuperVegitoFAN: Dabura or Demigra? Hmm…interesting, but if I were to use a DBZ character as a Deadlord, I'd rather bring in Cell or Frieza. That being said, I'm not too sure as to how a character from DBZ would fit into Fire Emblem (though, to be fair, Robin and Reina are closer to a DBZ character than anything…)**

 **\- Unzealots: Where to begin…  
I appreciate the concern (if it is concern. I'm taking it as concern). Bringing in characters from Warcraft/WoW is a major risk on my part and I'm well aware of how badly I can screw this up if I'm not careful. But, I've given a LOT of thought on this, and I'm pretty confident that I can pull this off. If not, well…you can laugh at me for proving me wrong, and I'll either have to deal with my story having taken a terrible turn in the future or just go through a very, VERY large rewrite. Or both.  
If, by chance, you don't mind me spoiling a little bit and/or you still have what I'm assuming to be concerns, feel free to PM me. I don't think the end of an A.N. is the best place to talk of matters such as this out of concern for the other readers.**

 **And that's pretty much it for now. I'll see you all in the next!**


	26. (XXV) The Devil His Due

**Quick A.N. before we/you start.**

 **This story passed 200 follows and 100 reviews the other day. This story is also only a couple thousand views away from 50,000 views.**

 **Seriously... What. The. Hell.**

 **I've said this many times over and I'll say it again, and I'll keep saying it. Thank you all so much. I'd go into a drabble of how thankful I am, but I've never been one for long speeches and whatnot, so I hope you guys understand how much emphasis I'm putting in the five words, "Thank you all so much."**

* * *

"How in blazes did I get lost?!"

Cursing, Grima rubbed his temples.

"There's supposed to be only one path here…" Grima muttered, glaring at the darkness around him. "Shadow travel should not be this difficult. This blasted darkness doesn't help either. Who's bright idea was it to make a method of transportation that has a road that's barely visible?! There's no source of light! At all! I can't see crap!"

Mumbling to himself, Grima did the only thing he could do. Walk forward. At least, in the direction that he hoped was forward. Him getting lost on a single-pathed road would be a secret that he'd carry to his grave, metaphorically.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

A soft set of feet made their way down the halls of a swaying ship. Arriving at the end of the hall, the owner turned to the door to her left. Hesitating, she lightly tapped her knuckles on the door.

"Robin?"

Silence.

"Robin, please, answer me!"

Her voice had a hint of desperation to it but she was met with silence once more. With her heart dropping, her hand slowly slid down the door as she walked away. Before she knew it, she arrived at the ship's lounge, where three others were residing on the couches. One was her father, one her sister, and the third was Robin's daughter.

"Lucina? How is he?" Chrom asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

Lucina sadly shook her head, unable to meet her father's eyes.

"I see…" Chrom dejectedly sighed.

Ever since the destruction of the Valmese fleet yesterday, Robin had shut himself away behind his door, refusing to see anyone. Obviously, Chrom didn't stand for this as he tried to break the door down by force, but quickly realized that Robin had reinforced the wooden door so that even Chrom wouldn't be able to break it down with his absurd strength. Even Morgan was met with silence, throwing the girl into a gloom.

The door to the lounge opened as a scarlet haired woman stepped in.

"Mother…" Lucina looked up at her mother in hope.

Cordelia gave Lucina a small smile before looking at her husband.

"Reina's doing a little better," Cordelia said, sitting down on a chair next to Chrom. "Though I wasn't able to talk to her myself, Marc and Lon'qu are in the room talking with her."

"I wish I could say the same for Robin." Leaning back, Chrom rested his head his seat's headrest. "He's been holed up in his room and refuses to meet anyone."

"I thought you'd have broken the door down by now," Cordelia mused.

"I tried. Bastard reinforced the door with magic."

Lucina looked over at Morgan. The young girl could probably dispel Robin's reinforcement magic but was most likely restraining herself from doing so out of respect of her father's wishes. That, or she was too downcast to do anything.

Cordelia put a hand on her temple for a moment before lowering her arm, sighing.

"He's even blocked off the comms," Cordelia said. "I didn't even think that was possible, though this _is_ Robin that we're talking about."

No one said anything after that and the silence that fell upon them was ironically deafening.

"So, Luce."

Severa suddenly spoke, staring intently at her sister. "Why do you care so much about Robin?"

That single question gathered the attention of everyone else in the room.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Lucina asked, heat rushing to her face.

"You know what I mean," Severa scoffed.

"I would like to know that as well," Cordelia chimed in. "You've been spending a lot of time with Robin and seem to care deeply for him."

Lucina slightly panicked as she her brain scrambled around to find an answer.

"W-well, he's our tactician and one of the most powerful fighters in the army," Lucina replied. "The morale of the troops can be heavily tilted by his presence alone."

"But that could be the same for Reina," Severa countered. "Though Robin has a higher aptitude for magic and Reina has more skill with a blade, both are equally powerful. Not only that, they're both the tacticians for the Shepherds. So why him alone?"

"Th-that's because - !"

"Enough," Chrom cut in, his voice level yet stern. "Lucina has her reasons for doing so. Whether or not she wishes to divulge said reasons is up to her."

Severa spent another few seconds staring at Lucina before briskly walking off to her room.

"So…" Chrom started, looking over at Lucina. " _Do_ you have feelings for him?"

"Father!"

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"It's over, Validar!"

Robin threw a spear crafted from lightning at Validar. The magic was deflected with a quick wave of the dark mage's arm, but that single moment was enough of a distraction as a golden blade sprouted from the Plegian king's chest. With a roar, Chrom wrenched Falchion out from the Plegian king's heart. The purple flames that Validar was holding flickered and died out along with his life.

"We…we did it…" Chrom wheezed, breathing heavily. "We finally did it!"

Exhausted, Robin collapsed onto his knees. Sweat rolled down his face and fell to the ground, creating a small puddle beneath his chin. He heard Chrom chuckling as the prince walked over with a wide smile on his face.

"Validar's dead and Grima won't be resurrected," Chrom said, clapping his hand onto Robin's shoulder.

"Ow," Robin weakly groaned.

Chrom laughed. "Suck it up. You've been through much worse than a little slap on the shoulder."

"That doesn't make it any less painful…"

"Oh, don't be such a pansy."

"Says the one that couldn't stop his knees from shaking when he was trying to ask a certain lady on a date."

"That was ONE time, Robin!"

"And one time too many."

Chrom groaned. "I swear, I will make your life a living hell when you find yourself a woman."

"Until then, I'll be making YOUR life a living hell," Robin smirked.

"You ass," Chrom grinned, punching Robin on the arm before standing up.

"Ahahaaaoooowwww, that hurts!" Robin whined, extending his hand to Chrom.

"It was supposed to," Chrom retorted.

Grabbing Robin's hand, Chrom pulled him up onto his feet. The instant Robin was on his feet, however, he crafted a dagger from lightning and plunged it into Chrom's chest.

"Wha - Robin?"

Chrom and Robin both looked back and forth between the dagger embedded in the prince's chest and each other's faces, not quite understanding what just happened.

"Chrom!"

Robin made an attempt to grab Chrom before he fell to the ground, but his body vanished into smoke upon contact.

"No…no no no! Gods no!" Robin cried out.

A strong wind blew through the area and Robin's world flickered out, enveloping him in darkness. From the darkness, numerous shadowed figures emerged, each standing in front of him. The shadows slowly started taking form, taking the appearances of soldiers in Plegian and Valmese armor. Some of them had bloody wounds, others had burnt holes in their bodies, and most of the Valmese soldiers' skin was a shade of blue.

A chill ran down Robin's spine as he realized that he was looking at the men that he killed, either by his hand or through his tactics. Their hollowed eyes seemed to bore into Robin as their mouths creaked open.

"Monster."

The faces spoke as one. The single word sent a shock through Robin.

Before Robin could say anything, the corpses vanished and was replaced by a couple dozen new shadows,each one taking the appearance of a Shepherd. Slowly, Robin's arm started rising as mana coursed through his veins. Robin struggled to stop himself, but whatever force that was controlling him continued to do so. Lightning flickered and danced around his fingertips as he took aim.

"NO!"

Frederick was the first to fall as a bolt of lightning erupted from Robin's outstretched hand. Next was Cordelia, then Lissa, Lon'qu, Gaius, Stahl, Sumia, Reina; one by one, they fell from Robin's magic. In less than a minute, he was surrounded by the dead bodies of his friends until only two were left standing.

"Please…no…" Robin sobbed as he looked at the final two Shepherds.

Both had cerulean blue hair that seemed to be glowing amidst the darkness. One had her hair cut short just above her shoulders while the other had hers cascading down her back. As one, both girls started to walk towards Robin with kind smiles on their faces.

"Stop…please…" Tears formed in the corners of Robin's eyes as his hand moved once more against his will. "I'm begging you, don't do this!"

Lightning flowed down Robin's arms as Lucina and Morgan continued to approach Robin, only stopping just within his arm's reach. His arms shot forward, his fingers wrapping themselves around their necks. Slowly, his hands started to apply pressure against their throats.

"No…NO!"

Tears streamed down Robin's cheeks as he helplessly watched himself slowly crush the two girls' necks. With one final surge of strength, his hands snapped shut, and a cry of agony escaped Robin's throat.

"NOOOO!"

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Robin's eyes shot open as he quickly sat up on his bed, breathing heavily. Cold sweat was pouring down his face and his body felt like it was on fire.

 _Calm down. Deep breaths. Think._

He was on a boat headed to Valm and in the cabin room he chose for himself. Footsteps could be heard through his ceiling and out in the halls. Groaning, Robin slid his legs off the side of his bed and held his head in his hands.

"Robin?"

Robin looked up. His door was still closed and someone was knocking on it. All around him, Robin could hear the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Robin, are you awake?" Lucina's voice came from behind the door. "If you are, I just wished to tell you that we've arrived at Valm Harbor."

"Yeah," Robin replied, surprising himself with how raspy his voice sounded. "Yeah, I'll be out in a moment."

Sighing, Robin forced himself to his feet. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he strode across his room and opened the door and was greeted by the cerulean haired princess. The moment Robin met her eyes, his visions of his dream hit him in full force, and he tore his gaze away from her. He started walking down the wall without a word, bitterly smiling at himself at the fact that he couldn't even look Lucina in the eye. Robin was well aware of the pained look that Lucina was giving him.

"Sorry…"

That one word was all the Robin could muster as he continued to walk down the hall and up the stairs. The Shepherds up on deck must not have been expecting Robin as most of them had a very surprised look on their faces when Robin appeared. All of them were geared for a fight. Weapons were either hanging from their hips or strapped to their backs, armor was donned over their limbs (with the exception of Vaike. He was still shirtless and armorless), and tension hung in the air.

"Robin!"

A certain blue haired prince practically pushed his way through the crowd of Shepherds. Robin fully expected Chrom to punch him in stomach and braced himself, only to be mildly confused when Chrom embraced him.

"It's good to see you out of your room, my friend," Chrom smiled, lightly shaking Robin's shoulder.

The moment Chrom took a step back, Robin was tackled by a smaller figure with shoulder-length blue hair.

"Father!" Morgan cried, tightly wrapping her arms around Robin.

"Hey, little one," Robin chuckled, ruffling Morgan's hair.

Just like with Lucina, Robin remembered his nightmare from earlier when meeting Morgan's eyes and he involuntarily retracted his hand as if he got burned. Ignoring the looks of confusion he received from the others, Robin turned his attention to Chrom.

"What's the situation?" Robin asked, freeing himself from Morgan's grasp.

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know?"

"Chrom…" Robin sighed. "Everyone is out here equipped for a fight. We're landing on Valm, where we're about to go to war with Walhart's ground troops. It's not that difficult to put two and two together."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Chrom frowned. "You should see this for yourself."

As Robin walked forward, he received a few greetings and slaps on the back from a few of the Shepherds, greetings in which he returned. Lucina and Morgan followed close behind Robin, both of them feeling very confused from Robin's cold actions from earlier. There confusion was tossed to the side when they saw the scene before them.

Valm Harbor, a once thriving port full of travelers and merchants, was almost in ruins. Stalls, houses, and buildings alike were set ablaze as smoke billowed up into the sky. The docks were were destroyed, no doubt by the Conqueror's men in an attempt to prevent the Ylissean League from landing, and a small army of a couple hundred soldiers were waiting for them. In the very front, a man with a chiseled face was on horseback, his black and red armor signifying his rank and status of a Dark Knight.

"That's just fan-friggin-tastic," Robin muttered.

"I'm actually feeling a little flattered," Chrom grinned. "They've set up a welcoming party for us."

From beside them, Reina spoke up. "It'd be quite rude of us to refuse them a gift in thanks, right?"

Robin and Chrom both looked at Reina, catching the gleam in her eyes.

"Quite rude, indeed… And I do believe that a certain duke would be more than willing to do so," Chrom agreed. "Virion! We've need of your assistance!" Chrom called over his shoulder.

A second later, the blue haired archer strode forward, giving them a small bow.

"How may I be of use?"

 _ **. . .**_

"What are they planning?"

The Ylissean League showed no signs of stopping or slowing down as they continued to approach. The Valmese commander's brow furrowed, creating crease lines on his forehead as he stared at the incoming fleet.

"Commander Farber!"

Farber turned to face the soldier that addressed him. The soldier flinched under Farber's scowling gaze but quickly regained his composure and swiftly saluted.

"Speak," Farber ordered.

"We've spotted Princess Say'ri halfway across the town, sir!" The soldier said.

A sneer formed on Farber's face. "Very good. Go, take two knights with you and capture her. Alive."

"Yes, sir!"

As the soldier ran off, Farber turned his attention back to the Ylissean ships just in time to see an arrow cut through the air. Caught off guard, Farber had no time to react as the arrow pierced through his black armor, embedding itself in the center of his chest. A moment later, the arrow detonated, creating a small explosion and throwing the Valmese troops into disarray.

 _ **. . .**_

"Nice shot."

Chrom clapped a hand onto the archer's shoulder.

"As expected of one such as I," Virion said, stowing his bow over his shoulder. "But if I may, what in good graces was that arrow?"

"A common arrow imbued with magic," Reina simply answered. "I got the idea from Miriel's sticky bombs. Though, I didn't think I'd get it correctly on the first try."

"With the commander out of the way, the rest should easy," Chrom said.

Nodding in agreement, Robin shot a _Fire_ into the air before the air folded around him as he warped to the ship with the two Khans. The rest of the Ylissean fleet saw the signal and the mages opened up their Wind elemental tomes. A sudden, unnatural wind blew in from behind the fleet, catching the sails and propelling them forward. Another burst of magic later, and another sudden wind blew in, but this time, it was against the Ylissean fleet, slowing them down so that they wouldn't crash into the port.

"The Shepherds and the Khans' ship will be the vanguard," Robin said, warping back from the Feroxi ship. "The rest of the fleet will wait just off the shore while the docks are repaired."

"Right," Chrom grunted, drawing Falchion. "Feel like giving a speech?"

Grunting, Robin turned around.

"Shepherds!" Robin yelled, gathering everyone's attention. "We get the glorious honor to be the first ones to land on the continent of Valm! As some of you personally experienced for yourselves yesterday, the Valmese soldiers are no pushover. So be careful, pair up, and try not to die. If you do, Chrom will have my head, and I'll make sure to get yours when I see you in the afterlife!"

A wave of laughter rolled through the Shepherds as they all took out their weapons.

"That's quite the unusual speech."

Robin turned his head to see Lucina standing next to him.

"I'll leave the inspirational ones to your father," Robin said. "My speeches…well…I simply say what's on my mind."

"And here I thought you were the master planner."

"Some of the best plans are the ones that you come up with on the spot."

"I thought the best plans were also the craziest ones?"

"That too."

Lucina laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. Despite the coldness from earlier, Robin's usual attitude was still there, albeit faint, giving Lucina a sense of comfort.

"Robin!"

Lucina's thoughts were interrupted by Chrom's booming voice. The Exalt pointed out to the harbor, specifically at a lone woman being chased by Valmese knights.

 _That's Princess Say'ri!_ Robin recognized the purple garb and flowing black hair.

"Neither of our _Rescue_ or _Warp_ staves can reach that far…" Reina thought out loud before turning to Robin. "Robin, take Lucina and Morgan and warp to Princess Say'ri's location. The rest of us will follow shortly through their lines."

"Alright," Robin said, placing a hand on Morgan and Lucina's shoulders.

"Why not just warp back here with her?" Chrom asked.

"I don't think a woman would take too kindly to a random stranger, a man, no less, placing his hands on her without her consent or knowledge," Reina answered.

"That…that makes a lot of sense," Chrom muttered, slightly embarrassed that he didn't figure out something so obvious.

"Of course it does. I'm the one that said it," Reina smirked.

Before Chrom could make a retort, Robin vanished along with Lucina and Morgan, avoiding their little squabble, and reappeared above the heads of the Valmese knights. They had finally managed to back Princess Say'ri into a corner but was too late to do anything else as Robin, Lucina, and Morgan dropped down on the knights.

A moment later, the Shepherds' ship landed on the beach of Valm Harbor.

"Shepherds! Advance!" Chrom roared, leaping off the ship and onto the soft sand below.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"Gotcha, ya damned broad!"

The Valmese knights were breathing heavily as they backed a woman into a corner of two burning buildings.

"Princess Say'ri," the second knight sneered. "You brought us on one helluva chase, but that's over. If you know what's good for you, give up now and we won't have to hurt you."

Say'ri clenched her teeth. Without a weapon, the chances of her fighting her way out of the corner alive were very slim. Though she knew hand-to-hand combat, she had no doubt that the two knights in front of her would spear her before she would be able to do anything.

She glanced over at the shore where the Ylissean League was approaching, but they'd never manage to get to her in time through the small army of Valmese stationed at the harbor.

Just then, there was a small distortion in the air above the knights. The knights were unable to catch it since it was directly over their heads, but from her angle, Say'ri was able to make out a small ripple in the air. Her eyes widened in shock when three people materialized out of thin air with weapons in hand.

The knights were none the wiser when the three dropped down on them, swords first, killing them instantly. Upon closer inspection, Say'ri noticed that two of the three were female, both of whom had striking blue hair. The third was a male with snow white hair and was in a dark robe with purple markings.

"Are you alright?"

It took Say'ri a second to realize that one of the women was speaking to her.

"Yes, I'm unharmed, thanks to you three," Say'ri replied, giving them a polite bow. "Are you with the Ylissean League?"

"Correct," Lucina answered. "We saw that you were in trouble, so we arrived as fast as we could."

From across the harbor, Chrom's voice could be heard as he led the Shepherds and Feroxi into battle against the Valmese.

"Let's talk later, shall we?" Robin suggested, handing Say'ri his sword.

"Fie, I could not take your only weapon!" Say'ri shook her head.

"It's not my only weapon," Robin replied.

Without looking, Robin raised an arm behind him and sent out a bolt of lightning at a Valmese fighter who was running at them to prove his point.

"Please, it'd do the four of us better if you have a weapon in hand," Robin insisted.

Say'ri bit her lip. "Very well."

The moment Say'ri relieved Robin of his sword, he wheeled around and slammed his hands onto the floor, erecting a hexagonal barrier to protect the four of them. A multitude of fireballs and lightning crashed against the barrier not a second later.

Say'ri couldn't help but take a step back in surprise. The man in front of her had just cast a lightning spell that was powerful enough to down Valmese soldier with a single hit and create a barrier strong enough to withstand multiple _Arcfires_ and _Arcthunders_. The lightning bolt, she could understand, but never before had she seen anything like barrier magic in her life, all the while without even using a tome.

"Lucina, you're up!" Robin said, dispelling the barrier. "Morgan, cover her!"

The two girls ran forward at four Valmese mages, each of whom finished casting another wave of spells.

"Not happening," Morgan said, quickly throwing out emerald blades of wind.

Morgan's magic collided with the Valmese mages' magic. Say'ri watched in amazement as the young girl's wind magic, also tomeless, sliced through both lightning and fire, causing them to fizzle out, before killing two of the four mages and slicing the arm off a third.

As the remaining two mages scrambled back in terror, Lucina closed the gap between them and cut them down in a flash. Lucina then leapt backwards as a javelin pierced the spot where she stood a second ago.

Say'ri turned her head to see three Valmese knights, each clad in heavy armor, stomp their way towards Lucina. Not wanting to idly stand by as others fought her battle, Say'ri ran forward as she raised Robin's sword up to shoulder level.

One of the knights saw her and separated himself from the group to take on Say'ri alone. Thinking that it'd be an easy win, the knight charged forward and thrust his spear forward. The spear was simply dodged as Say'ri stepped to the side, only suffering from a graze on the arm. Before the knight could recover from his attack, his head fell to the floor with a single swing from Say'ri's blade. A few second later, the other two knights dropped to the ground.

Robin let out a low whistle. "Not bad. She's about as good as Lon'qu."

Taking a quick glance at the dead knights, Robin started to move forward to fight his way back to the Shepherds.

" _ **Mo**_ _NS_ _ **t**_ _e_ _ **R…"**_

Robin froze in his tracks. He wheeled around, looking for the source of the voice, only to be confused when he saw no one behind him except for the corpses of the three knights…

"Th-that's not possible…"

Robin hesitantly looked down at the bodies. None of them had moved an inch from where they were before.

"I'm just hearing things," Robin assured himself, forcing himself to look away from the bodies. "There's no way that corpses could talk."

 _'Robin, how are things on your end?_ ' Reina's voice intruded into Robin's head.

 _'Just peachy,'_ Robin replied. ' _We're on our way back. Princess Say'ri is unharmed.'_

 _'Alright. Let's finish this quickly.'_

 _'Agreed.'_

Reina's presence faded, leaving Robin alone. Well, almost alone. There was still Alternis residing in his head, who was still quite the enigma to Robin.

Casting aside his unnecessary thoughts, Robin took a step forward to re-engage the Valmese, only to find the ground beneath him to glow red. A half-second later, a plume of searing flames erupted from the ground, engulfing the tactician in a pillar of fire.

"Father!"

Morgan cried out in horror as she watched her father vanish in a wall of flames. From behind Morgan, a group of Valmese mages shot out a volley of fireballs, engulfing Robin once more in an inferno. Robin's silhouette could be seen crumpling to a single knee.

"Kill the tactician!"

Morgan wheeled around, her eyes blazing in anger. She spotted the source of the voice; it was the very same man that was shot by Virion earlier from the ships. His armor was practically non-existent as only half a pauldron and a single gauntlet was left intact. His chest was a charred black and burn marks could be seen everywhere on his body. How he was alive, Morgan didn't know, nor did she care. Her body moved on its own as she raised her arm and words flowed off her tongue.

"Come forth, Spirit of Mercury! Flood the earth with your unrestrained might!"

Morgan didn't even know what the incantation she was chanting was for due to her amnesia. All she could remember was that it was one of the more powerful spells in her arsenal. The temperature noticeably dropped and water droplets started gathering on Morgan's fingertips.

Her chant, however, did not go unnoticed by Farber and his men as they prepared to attack the immobile girl, but they were a second too late. Morgan had already finished her incantation.

"AMNIS!"

From Morgan's outstretched hands came a pressurized torrent of water. The water extinguished the fireballs that the Valmese mages created before crashing into the group of mages. The ones that were hit directly were the lucky ones, as the sudden impact from the pressurized water ended their lives quickly. The ones that only had their arm or leg or part of their body get hit were the unlucky ones as they suddenly found themselves with a lack of limbs.

Farber, the Valmese commander who was once atop a horse, was now nothing more than half a body as his lower half was caught in Morgan's _Amnis._ His torso fell to the ground with a wet thud as his innards threatened to spill out.

"Wh-what…?" Farber croaked. "What manner of magic - ?"

Violently coughing up blood, Farber pushed his body upwards with a single arm to look at Morgan. Rings of water swirled around her frame with one of them acting as a circlet. The water then dispersed, splattering onto the ground as Morgan staggered backwards from the strain of her magic.

"Morgan!"

Lucina rushed forward, catching the girl before she collapsed onto the ground. "Are you alright?"

Morgan weakly nodded.

Lucina let out a sigh of relief before looking back at the aftermath of Morgan's magic. A wide, half-circle groove, roughly eight feet wide, was cleanly cut into the ground with Farber plopped down in the middle of it. Near the edges of the groove, half a dozen mages were incapacitated on the ground, each of them missing a part of their body.

"What in Naga's name was that?" Lucina quietly wondered.

"I-I don't know…" Morgan replied.

All around them, the fighting stopped as Morgan's magic did not go unnoticed. With Farber lying helpless on the ground with only half of his body, the morale plummeted as the remainder of the Valmese army dropped their weapons in surrender. Their victory secured, the Shepherds, Feroxi, and the Ylissean League let up a roar of victory.

With Lucina's help, Morgan started to walk forward when Farber's weak voice reached her eyes.

"You…you think you've…won?" Farber rasped. "I'm nothing…compared to the Conqueror… Where I fall…ten will take my place!" His fingers grasping the ground, Farber pulled himself forward, inching towards Morgan and Lucina. "I - no…WE are legion…and we are - "

" - a pain in my ass," Robin finished, appearing behind the girls.

"Robin!" "Father!"

Robin gave the girls a small smile. Despite the magic attacks he received from Farber and his men, he looked to be unharmed for the most part. Flecks of ash and soot could be seen on his hair and robe and part of his shirt was burned off. Judging from his clothes, Lucina could only assume that he was suffering from burns all throughout his body that was hidden from his robe.

"How are you - ?" Farber sputtered, eyes widening.

"Alive?" Robin finished. "I'll be honest, that actually hurt. I didn't think that you'd have a _Bolganone_ in your possession. Had the rest of your mage unit been equipped with _Bolganones_ instead of _Arcfires_ , I would've taken some serious pain. Though, I doubt that would've killed me anyways. I'm quite stubborn in that regard."

Picking up a stray sword from off the ground, Robin walked over to Farber and ran the blade through his heart. It was a miracle that he managed to stay alive for that long, but with half his body cut off, Robin spared him the slow, agonizing death that would've come to him.

The port was silent as the Shepherds watched Robin yank out the sword from Farber's body. Feeling everyone's eyes on him, he took in a deep breath and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well? What are you all standing around for?" Robin shouted, looking at the Shepherds. "We've bodies to get rid of, prisoners to watch, and docks that need repairing for the rest of the fleet to land! Get moving!"

The next few hours went by in a blur. While the majority of the surviving townsfolk and some of the Valmese made hasty repairs to the docks, everyone else worked on putting out fires, burying the dead, and cleaning up the streets, though things could've gone a little more smoothly.

Nowi had a little too much fun carrying around debris and accidentally caved in a portion a building with her tail. Morgan thought it a good idea to use wind magic to clear the streets of debris and ended up carving up the stone street, to which she profusely apologized to the town residents. Gregor and Vaike somehow got their hands on some alcohol and continued working whilst intoxicated and started a few more fires which Reina and Marc threw ice magic at to extinguish.

Once they were finished, Chrom called for a meeting to discuss their next move and invited Princess Say'ri for her input. Gathering at one of the bars offered by the town, Robin, Reina, Chrom, Say'ri, Frederick, Lucina, and Cordelia sat down at one of the larger tables. As a thank you for getting rid of the Valmese, the owner handed them each a cup of tea (coffee in Robin's case).

"I heard tales of your strength and they were no exaggeration," Say'ri started, taking a seat between Lucina and Cordelia.

"Tales?" Chrom raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, tales of the Shepherds and of their unparalleled strength and strategy, led by the Prince himself and twin sibling tacticians."

Robin and Reina both choked on their drinks, earning a laugh from the everyone aside from Say'ri.

"Is something the matter?" Say'ri asked, confused at their reactions.

"While they are in a way related to each other, they aren't exactly twins," Chrom explained, barely managing to hold in his laughter.

"It's a complicated matter," Cordelia added, grinning. "Think nothing of it."

After the laughter died down, Chrom cleared his throat.

"May I ask why you were being chased?" Chrom asked Say'ri. "I take it that you being the princess of Chon'sin is not the full reason."

"Your assumption is correct, Prince Chrom," Say'ri said, folding her hands. "One reason is because I am the princess and the other is because I fight with the Resistance."

"Resistance?" Chrom raised an eyebrow. "There's an organized resistance?"

"Of sorts. Several groups fight to liberate ourselves from the Conqueror's rule."

"I would have expected the Conqueror's men to have stamped out any and every dissenter," Frederick said.

"Aye, he has tried many times, but we Resistance are the slippery lot." Say'ri sat up straighter as a hint of pride could be seen in her smile. "We strike hard and fast and vanish into the darkness of the night. We've been doing as such for almost a year now and have eliminated many of the Conqueror's ranked men."

"Impressive," Chrom praised.

"You grace me with your words, Prince Chrom," Say'ri said with a small bow.

"Even with the Resistance's potential, I take it that there's a few…factors that are preventing you from doing more damage to the Conqueror's army?" Reina asked.

Say'ri nodded. "It is as you say. Were it that the ones that oppose the Conqueror's reign joined under one banner, we would pose a sufficient threat to Walhart."

"What's stopping you?" Cordelia asked.

"Man's stopping her," Robin muttered. When he was given a few looks of confusion, he clarified, "Greed, selfishness, jealously, and _especially_ pride. Nobles tend to not want to exert any effort when they're content with what they have, and are unwilling to lift a finger to help those in need. Of course, there are a few exceptions like our paragon Exalt here, but unfortunately, the rest of the world does not share those convictions.

"In the case of the Resistance, the nobles of each country are under no threat from the Conqueror as long as they bend their knee. They will continue to do so until their territory is threatened or until an opposing force shows an overwhelming might over the Conqueror. In the case of the former scenario, there's no doubt that they'll grovel at Walhart's feet in order to please him."

"Fie, truer words have never been spoken," Say'ri agreed, looking at Robin with newfound interest and respect.

Robin sighed. "Which leaves us with the question…"

"How will we prove our superior strength against the Conqueror?" Reina finished.

"I don't suppose we could just fight army against army?" Chrom asked.

"Not a chance," Reina instantly replied. "The Ylissean League numbers don't even reach 250,000. Walhart has over a million soldiers under him. We'd be massacred."

"Was worth a shot…" Chrom muttered.

"And what is a million men against ones such as you?" Say'ri exclaimed. "You are the invincible Shepherds! You stopped a thousand of their warships and set the very sea on fire! Your actions have inspired and awoken people all throughout Valm!"

Robin grit his teeth as Say'ri brought back the memories of the slaughter of the Valmese navy.

"With all due respect, Princess Say'ri, please do not call us _'i_ _nvincible'_ ," Reina darkly said. "It was by luck and chance that the Shepherds suffered zero casualties but the same cannot be said for the rest of the army."

"M-my apologies." Say'ri lowered her head. "I meant no disrespect."

Lucina, who had been quiet until those point, finally spoke.

"The people of Valm are devout followers of the Divine Dragon, are they not?" Lucina slowly said. "If we were to have the support of Naga's Voice, Lady Tiki, surely we would be able to rally those that are still hesitant in joining the Resistance."

Every head turned to look at Lucina.

"Lucina, that's perfect!" Chrom grinned.

"It seems that spending so much time around our tactician was good for you," Cordelia said with a wink.

Lucina heavily blushed to the roots of her hair. As Robin took a quick glance at the faces of those seated around him, he noticed that Say'ri pursed her lips.

"Is something that matter?" Robin asked the princess.

Say'ri bit her lip before speaking. "Walhart expected a move such as this. One of his three generals is stationed with an army at the base of the Mila Tree, where Lady Tiki resides."

A chill ran down Robin's spine upon hearing her words. He recalled brief flashes of his past as he led the Shepherds against an army led by a bushy-mustached man.

"This general…his name wouldn't happen to be Cervantes, would it?" Robin asked apprehensively.

"Aye, that'd be him."

Robin violently cursed as Say'ri confirmed his fears.

"We're not going to the Mila Tree," Robin suddenly decided.

There was an immediate uproar at Robin's words, an uproar that only Reina did not partake in.

"Robin!" "What are you saying?!" "What do you mean?!"

Only by a near lifeless look in his eyes did the others calm down a little, giving Robin the opportunity to speak.

"I mean exactly what I said; we're not going to the Mila Tree," Robin repeated. "Cervantes is dangerous and fiercely loyal to Walhart. He will stay there until his death or until Walhart himself orders him to be elsewhere."

"What difference does that make?" Chrom asked. "We can just - "

"No."

"What do you mean - "

"No means no, Chrom."

Anger was quickly swelling in the Exalt's chest but he managed to keep his voice level.

"You know that I won't accept that answer without a good - "

"Sully dies."

A grim silence fell upon the room as the blood drained from Chrom's face.

"Wh-what?"

"Sully dies," Robin coldly repeated. "So does Gregor. And Stahl. Gaius loses an eye and Cordelia loses an arm. Is that good enough of a reason for you?"

"..."

Robin took Chrom's silence as his cue to leave. As he left the bar, Robin managed to catch a glimpse of Cordelia clutching her dominant arm, shaken from Robin's words. Thanking the owner for the drink, Robin opened the door and stepped out of the bar.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Robin woke up screaming. As he expected, his dreams for that night were memories of events that occurred back in his world; specifically, the fight against Cervantes. He remembered how Chrom was injured while fighting an ambush from a squad of Valmese pegasus knights and how he and Gregor fought Cervantes.

As he was still inexperienced in one-on-one combat, Robin was easily overpowered by the general. He was disarmed and kicked in the chest, breaking a few ribs, and would've been killed had Gregor not stepped in front of him, his sword raised in a defensive stance. Much to Robin's horror, Cervantes shattered Gregor's sword in a single stroke of his greataxe and embedded his weapon halfway down Gregor's chest, nearly splitting him in two.

A second later, Sully and Stahl both rushed forward on their horses to avenge the fallen mercenary when Cervantes threw his greataxe as if it was weightless, slicing the viridian knight in half from the waist. He then grabbed Sully's spear mid-thrust and hurled her off her horse and into the trunk of the Mila Tree. Sully didn't even have a chance to fall when Cervantes threw her spear and impaled her through her heart.

Three Shepherds killed in less than fifteen seconds by a single man; a man who was only one of Walhart's three generals. Robin didn't know how the Shepherds managed to push Cervantes back as he lost consciousness. He woke up in the medical tent the next day with Gaius and Cordelia in the cots beside him. The thief had taken an arrow in the eye while Cordelia's pegasus was shot down, making her an easy target for the ground troops below. Had it not been for Frederick having been in the vicinity, a fourth Shepherd would've died that day.

Knowing that he'd only be haunted by more nightmares should he fall asleep, Robin decided to take a walk. Leaving his room, Robin quietly left the inn the Shepherds were spending the night in and stepped outside. He was surprised when he saw a five others sitting on the wall overlooking the beach in front of him.

"Evening," Robin greeted the others. "Or should I say 'night'?"

Heads turned. Chrom was the first to speak.

"Robin? Why are you up so late?"

"I could ask the same of you five." Robin's eyes darted from Chrom to Cordelia, to Lucina, to Reina, and finally onto Lon'qu.

"I needed some fresh air," Chrom said. "Cordelia followed me and Lucina was already on her way out to do some late training."

"Reina and Lon'qu were already outside before we even got here," Cordelia added.

Robin raised a concerned eyebrow at Reina.

 _'_ Nightmares?' He asked through the rings.

Reina only nodded in reply.

"What about Lon'qu?" Robin asked.

"Training."

"Should've known…"

"So, what brings you out here?" Chrom asked.

"Couldn't sleep," Robin said.

Chrom furrowed his brow. "Is it from what we talked about earlier?"

"…Yeah," Robin nodded. "I still hold by my decision, in case you're wondering."

"Having Lady Tiki's support would cause the other nations to rally!" Lucina exclaimed.

"I'm quite aware of that, but I am not going to risk the lives of the Shepherds again."

"But you're stronger than you were back in your world!" Lucina countered.

"I'm only one person, Lucina." Robin let out a tired sigh. "And so is Reina. Sure, the Shepherds as they are now are stronger than the ones back from my world during the beginning of the Valmese War, but that's just by a margin. Who's to say that our opposition isn't stronger in this time as well?"

"What do you suggest we do?" Chrom asked.

"We need to find a way to lure Cervantes away from the Mila Tree, if anything," Reina answered. "I agree with Robin. We should hold off on rescuing Lady Tiki for now. She won't be going anywhere."

Robin nodded in agreement. "Fort Steiger isn't too far of a march from the Mila Tree. With luck, we can capture the fort and use it as a temporary base. Even if we can't do that, relieving it of Valmese control will heavily disrupt their communications. Valm's a large continent, so Fort Steiger is vital to both their supplies and their communications from the south end of the continent to the north."

Reina took in a sharp intake of breath. "Are you sure about that? Pheros isn't a pushover. She was the most powerful magic user in my world and it was only by luck that we killed her. Not to mention that we can easily get hit by a pincer attack by Yen'fay's army from the south and Walhart and Cervantes's armies from the north."

"Don't worry about Yen'fay," Robin firmly said. "He won't be an enemy this time around. Remember the reason _why_ he's fighting against Say'ri? I plan on getting rid of that source."

Reina's eyes widened as he understood Robin's plans. The others, unfortunately, did not have that luxury as they were left with puzzled looks.

"We'll explain this in the morning with the others," Robin said, appeasing their confusion for now. "If we're to do that, we should get some sleep. We'll have to get up early in order to - "

The air around them thickened as an invisible pressure weighed down on their shoulders. The temperature dropped considerably and the color seemed to fade from the world.

"Gods damned son of a mother - FINALLY!"

From a few steps down the street, the shadows gathered to create a gate of darkness. From the gate, a robed figure could be seen walking out when he suddenly stumbled forward. The hood was pulled up over his head, effectively hiding his face.

"Gah! Stupid shadows…" The figure righted himself as he took a step out of the gate. He stumbled for a second time when the darkness seemed to cling to his other leg that was still in the gate. "What the - let go. Of. Me!"

With a final kick, the man was finally free of the shadows as he loudly exhaled through his nose.

"Night?!" the man looked up into the night sky. "It's already night?! How did shadow travel take that long! It should've only been a few hours…max!"

Recognizing the robed figure, Robin's blood ran cold.

"You…" Robin growled.

The figure looked as if he just noticed the six Shepherds in front of him.

"Me," the man cheekily replied.

"Robin? Isn't that - "

"That's _not_ me." Robin cut Lucina off, not taking his eyes off the figure.

"Ouch, that hurts, Robin," the man said, mockingly placing his hand over his chest. "You'll shatter my poor heart by saying such things."

"Shut up!" Robin roared, blasting the man with a bolt of lightning.

Robin's lightning was easily deflected with a flick of the wrist, dissipating harmlessly into the sand below them.

"Who are you?" Lucina shakily asked, drawing Falchion. Lon'qu and Reina both placed their hands on their weapons while Chrom and Cordelia did nothing as they didn't bring theirs.

A wicked smile formed on the man's lips as he looked at Lucina.

"Why, I'm truly hurt that you've forgotten me in such a short time," the man chuckled, pulling off his hood.

Lucina let out a horrified gasp when she saw the face underneath.

"H-How is…that's impossible!" Lucina stammered.

"Oh, but it's _very_ possible," the man smirked.

Pointing Falchion at the man, Lucina asked once more, "Who are you?"

The man frowned. Sighing, the man crossed his arms.

"And here I thought we were closer than that. Very well, perhaps this will jog your memory a little."

Dark energy started to swirl around the man. Chrom and Robin immediately stood protectively in front of Lucina. Reina, and Lon'qu both had their hands resting on the hilts of their swords, ready to attack at a moment's notice.

As the dark energy enveloped the man, Lucina started to recognize who the person, rather, the monster was. There was no mistaking that vile energy. She desperately shook her head, not wanting to believe what she was seeing.

From the darkness, two gleaming red eyes shone through the swirl of energy.

"Allow me to formally introduce myself," the man cackled. "I never did get the chance back in Plegia, so I see it fitting that I do so now."

The dark energy dispersed, leaving behind a doppelganger of Robin, only this one's eyes were a deep red, like the color of blood. Wisps of purple energy fanned out from where the man took a step as he approached the Shepherds.

"I was once the Robin of the very world that our favorite little princess escaped from."

Chrom and Cordelia took a step back from shock and Lon'qu widened his eyes slightly. Lucina, however, was petrified.

"Now, I am known Grima. The Fell Dragon."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 **Yup. Grima makes an early appearance here. After teasing little by little at how Grima will interact with Robin again, he finally does, but only for it to end as a tease once more. I'm an ass, I know. :)**

 **How this'll play out? Well, I already know. You readers don't. I'll torment you all a little by making you wait for the next few updates.**

 **And this is another chapter that's on the more serious end of the spectrum. Just saying, it's gonna be like that for a little while longer. Robin being a gloomy little bastard won't be helping out much either.**

* * *

 **I don't think any of you realize how long I was stuck on this chapter, the main reason being that I could not come up with an incantation for Morgan's** _ **Amnis**_ **(latin for "stream", btw. As in "a stream of water." At least, I'm pretty sure it's "stream". Don't quote me on that).  
It started off in pretty much the same manner as Morgan and Marc's **_**Spark Plasma**_ **back from Ch.19 [A Small Journey II], but I wanted to expand more on that. It (** "Flood the earth with your unrestrained might!" **)** **ended up taking me a LOT longer than I thought it would. A very short and simple line, but it gave me a stupid amount of trouble.  
**

 **Also, Water elemental magic. Yeah. It's a thing. Why water? Cause pressurized water is terrifying.  
Yes, I realize that Water and Ice Magic tend to fall under the same category in most games, but I wanted to give Morgan her own elemental affinity. Robin has Lightning, Reina has Ice, and Morgan has Water. Marc…well, his is coming up soon.**

* * *

 **Review/Comment Reply Area Thing:**

 **\- SuperVegitoFAN: Hmm...interesting.**

 **\- nightnightsky: Not exactly. Very similar, but all Owain did was a magic attack with his sword. Remember how a few chapters ago, Robin explained that Owain was the** _Catalyst_ **type? Yeah, that.** **The golden glow and all was just a little easter-egg to Excalibur from Fate/. || Falchion? :)**

 **\- darkzstarz12, Artyom-Dreizehn: "Ah, I see you're a man of culture as well."**

 **\- Antex, 420blazeitfaggot: Many thanks.**

 **\- N-Lorin: Thanks for that. I was going back and forth between who would get which colored ring and messed up.**

* * *

 **Oh, just saying, if I end up not updating this story for a while, you can blame the release of Fire Emblem: Echoes. It comes out in less than 24 hours, and I'm very excited to play that game. SO, I'll be playing that for who knows how long and I'll be getting distracted from everything else due to that game.**

 **Speaking of Echoes, I got Celica in FE:Heroes. Her art is fantastic, just saying.  
** **If any of you were lucky enough to get her as well, I recommend having her inherit the Renewal skill so that she can constantly go back up to full HP for her Ragnarok tome's effect to proc constantly.**

 **(You can get Renewal 3 from a 4* Fae and Renewal 2 from a 4* Lissa)**

* * *

 **And that's all for now! See you all in the next!**


	27. (XXVI) Truth and Reconciliation

**Guess what? Today, June 2nd, marks the six month anniversary of this story's life. Hooray! *fanfare***

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Lucina was running through the ruins of Ylisstol with Brady and Laurent only a few steps behind her. Just behind those two were Severa and Owain who were practically dragging a frantic Cynthia along.

Houses, shops, and buildings were aflame all around them and the smoke made it difficult for Lucina to see where she was going. It was only thanks to her knowledge of the town that she was able to run as she navigated her friends through the streets and towards the Northern Gate to Ylisstol.

"Let me go!" Cynthia shrieked. Tears were flooding down the girl's face as she struggled to break free of her friends grasps. "Let go of me! I have to go back!"

"We can't!" Severa cried.

"I have to go back!" Cynthia was flailing her arms around in an attempt to break free. "Mom can't hold them off on her own! She's going to die!"

"You'll die too if you go back - "

"I DON'T CARE!"

Cynthia's fist collided with Severa's head, causing the princess to loosen her grip just enough for Cynthia to break free. She managed to take two steps before Owain roughly pulled her back just as a spear impaled itself on the ground just in front of Cynthia's feet. Had Owain been a split second late, that spear would've claimed Cynthia's life.

From the smoke, two Risen came stumbling out. One of them was holding a broken sword while the other was unarmed. Owain forcefully pulled Cynthia back as two fireballs sailed past their heads and into the Risen.

"Come on!" Brady yelled. His staff still had a small glow from casting _Fire_ and Laurent was putting his tome back into his robes.

"We must hurry," Laurent said. "Lady Sumia bought us precious little time, time that we cannot afford to waste."

"But - "

Cynthia's words died in her throat when an thunderous boom shook both earth and sky. A cloud of purple flames rose in the distance from Ylisstol Castle. The children recognized the explosion instantly as it was one of Henry's creations; a meter-long, cylindrical container packed with dark magic and an _Arcfire_. Channel an ounce of magic onto one of the magic seals inscribed onto the container and it'd detonate in a devastating blast within a minute.

Most of Henry's bombs, aptly named, _"_ _Purple Boomers"_ by the dark mage himself, were used in the defense of Ylisstol from the relentless onslaught of Risen. The last one was held by Sumia, one that she promised to use only as a last resort when she couldn't hold the gate any longer, but all the children knew deep down that Sumia would sacrifice herself along with it.

"N-no…"

Cynthia's legs gave out as she fell to her knees. Her eyes were lifeless as they stared in the direction of Ylisstol Castle's gates, where Sumia made her final, defiant act against the Fell Dragon's forces.

"M-mom…"

Fresh tears flowed from Cynthia's eyes. The five children wanted nothing more than to grieve for the loss of one of the last Shepherds and the mother figure to them all, to weep for her death, but the world was cruel. Risen continued to pour into the street, forcing Owain and Severa to pick Cynthia up off the floor once more as they continued to run.

Just as they neared the Northern Gate, a small gate made of darkness rose up out of the ground to bar the children's path. From the darkness emerged a hooded figure clad in dark energy. A pair of glowing, red eyes shone from the darkness. The children immediately froze where they stood as the familiar feeling of dread and hopelessness exuded off the hooded.

"Grima…" Lucina growled, drawing Falchion.

"Come now, is there a need for such hostilities?" Grima asked.

Grima took a step forward towards the children. Behind Grima, the gate of darkness rippled as twelve figures strode out.

"I believe you've already met the Deadlords? Or at least a few of them?" Grima gestured to the twelve standing behind him. "Most of them are from different worlds, and each one was heralded as one of the strongest of their times. As such, each of their names are etched in their world's history and are seen as legends."

"I'm well aware," Lucina snarled. She recognized four of them, three of which she met and the fourth being from the tales she read in Ylisstol Castle's library.

Equus, also known as Achilles, son of the King of Myrmidons, and the hero of one of the most famous wars of his world.  
Draco, or Sylvanas, the Queen of the Forsaken and a member of a mythological race, one even rarer than manaketes and taguels.  
Simia, the one who earned the title of Blade Lord and the nickname, "Lightning Lioness", when she was alive.  
And Porcus, the assassin clad in white and red who was responsible for the sudden deaths of Frederick, Olivia, and Ricken with hidden blades attached to his wrists.

Lucina couldn't recognize the other Deadlords much to her vexation.

In the center of the Twelve stood a towering man clad in dark grey plate armor. Skull shaped pauldrons were strapped on his shoulders and a large, wicked looking sword with blue runes etched onto the center of the blade was held in his hands as ice started to form on the blade. Next to him was a woman in red and black armor. Her silver hair shone brightly in the moonlight, and in her hands was a blood-red lance. To either sides of the two stood Equus, Draco, Porcus, and Simia, and before Lucina was able to get a better look at the other Deadlords, her attention was turned to Cynthia as the young girl attacked Grima in a fit of rage and desperation.

The corners of Grima's lips twitched upwards in amusement as Cynthia's spear harmlessly phased through the Fell Dragon's avatar.

"Oh, you…" Grima's arm lashed out as his hand grabbed onto Cynthia's collar. With inhuman strength, he held her up off the ground with a single arm as he slightly tilted his head. "You're that woman's spawn, aren't you? The one that died mere moments ago. That last attack of hers was quite surprising. It actually stung."

"I HATE YOU!" Cynthia screamed.

"You should join the club," Grima grinned. "Many people harbor a hatred for me, most of them being dead. You seem to be quite eager to join them...along with your mother."

Cynthia let out another scream as she thrust her spear into Grima's face, only for it Grima to grab the spear. A second later, he tightened his grip, shattering the the spear's shaft into splinters. Grima then raised his free hand as dark magic started to gather in his palm. But before he was able to finish gathering his magic, a golden blade sliced through the arm holding onto Cynthia.

While it didn't do much harm to the avatar, his grip on Cynthia loosened nonetheless, allowing Lucina to grab the girl. Lucina made an attempt to retreat when a force slammed into her, throwing both her and Cynthia into the air.

Lucina managed to twist her body around in order to land on her feet as Owain rushed forward to catch Cynthia. A large fireball flew by Lucina and at Grima, only for one of the Deadlords to step in front of Grima and slice the fireball in two with a ridiculously oversized sword.

"Come now, Tigris," Grima frowned. "There was no need for you to step in. That measly fireball wouldn't have done anything."

Tigris said nothing as he stared at the children. Then, in a fluid motion, he twirled his greatsword with ease and slung it over his shoulder and onto his back.

"Now then…"

Grima turned his attention to Lucina.

"Let's…talk, shall we? After all, it's been some time since we last saw one another, isn't that right…"

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"...little princess?"

Lucina took a step back as her face became devoid of color. Chrom and Robin were protectively standing in front of her as they were ready to attack Grima at a moment's notice. Lightning flickered around Robin's arms as Chrom raised a sword that Robin was lending him.

"How - how is this possible?" Lucina's voice was shaking as cold sweat rolled down her cheeks. "How is it that you're here in this world?"

Grima shrugged. "Naga isn't the only one that can open up portals to traverse time. Though, I will admit, she is much more adept at it. It was a pain in the ass for me to come here."

"So you followed her," Chrom noted.

"Very good, Chrom," Grima mockingly praised clapping his hands. "An astute observation!"

"Why?"

"You're going to have to be a little more specific than that," Grima sighed.

"Why are you here?" Chrom asked.

Grima pursed his lips. "Do you mean why I'm here in this world or…why I'm _here_ here?"

"Both," Robin replied.

"Alrighty then, for the first _'why-I'm-here'_ , I'm here to awaken the me of this world to raze this land to dust," Grima answered, staring knowingly at Robin. "As for the second _'why-I'm-here'_ , well, it ties to the first. More of a shortcut, really; I'm here to have a small chat. With Robin, specifically. But, you're all free to join in."

The ringing sound of metal being drawn was heard as Reina and Lon'qu both drew their weapons.

"Interesting," Grima mused, staring at Reina's Rakuyo and Lon'qu's Chikage. "Weapons from the Dream…"

Reina blinked. "You know?"

"Of course I know. I'm me," Grima scoffed. "Also, that wasn't very nice, little princess."

Grima looked down to see Lucina's Falchion embedded in his chest, right where his heart would be.

"Why the hostilities?"

"You know damn well why, monster."

Grima frowned. He looked at Lucina's face, down at Falchion, back at her face, then back down at the blade stuck in his chest.

"Do you mind?" Grima pointed at Falchion's blade. "It kinda hurts, just so you - GAH~AHHH! What the shit!"

Lucina twisted Falchion in her hands as she wrenched the blade out of Grima's chest. Black ichor dripped from Falchion as Grima staggered back, holding his hand over his chest.

"Jeez, couldn't you have been more gentle while pulling out?" Grima whined.

Not catching the innuendo in his words, Lucina flicked her blade free of Grima's blood. She then raised her blade to strike once more, causing Grima to scowl.

"Oh, for the love of - "

Before Lucina lunged forward, Chrom grabbed Lucina and yanked her backwards.

"Thank you!" Grima exclaimed. "I miss the days of being at full strength. Weapons would just phase through me." The last part was said under his breath so that no one heard.

Grima snapped his fingers and a wooden table materialized out of thin air along with seven chairs, one for each of them. Sitting down on the chair closest to him, Grima gestured to the open seats.

"Would you like a seat?" Grima offered.

No one moved.

"Oh, come on," Grima groaned. "I'm showing hospitality here."

"…How do we know this isn't just some ploy to kill us the moment we sit?" Cordelia asked.

Grima sighed. "Trust me, if I wished to kill you…"

Grima flicked his wrist and a dozen black spikes shot out of the ground, each one stopping a hair's breadth away from piercing the Shepherds.

"…I would've done so from the beginning."

Grima relaxed his hand, causing the black spikes to dissipate. Chrom was the first to move, taking the seat directly across the Fell Dragon's avatar. Cordelia, Lucina, and Robin took seats to Chrom's left while Reina and Lon'qu sat at Chrom's right.

"So…" Chrom placed his hands on the table. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, for starters, how have you all been doing?" Grima casually asked. "I'm curious as to the course of action that you'll be taking from here on. I don't know about Robin's or Reina's world, but in my time, the Shepherds lost a few members during this war against Walhart."

Robin and Reina said nothing, which was more than enough to serve as an answer to Grima.

"I see, so you _did_ lose Shepherds in your worlds as well," Grima said. "I take it that you won't be walking down the same path as you did in your worlds?"

"Correct," Reina answered. "Instead of going to the Mila Tree to rescue Tiki, we're headed straight for Fort Steiger."

"Interesting," Grima muttered. "You realize how badly that plan could backfire on you, right? Move too quickly and your army will be too tired to put up a fight against Pheros's army and you'll suffer heavy casualties. Move too slowly and you'll end up with Cervantes, Yen'fay, and Walhart breathing down your necks."

"We're well aware," Robin calmly said. "But with luck, we'll manage to have Yen'fay defect from Walhart's army."

"Really?" Grima raised an eyebrow. "How do you plan on doing that? By taking out Excellus?"

"Exactly that."

Robin's confident answer caused Grima to laugh.

"Sounds fun!" Grima grinned. "Can I pitch in to help you out?"

Grima's offer took everyone by surprise. Reina, who was supporting her head with her arm, slipped, and her forehead slammed against the table, causing the others to stare at the tactician. Sheepishly raising her head, who was now sporting a red welt on the center of her forehead, Reina looked down at her lap in embarrassment. Robin could've sworn he saw a small smile form on Lon'qu's lips.

"Why?" Chrom asked, turning everyone's attention back to the matter at hand. "Why help us?"

"Simple." Grima shrugged. "I never liked Excellus, nor will I ever. He's a sad and pitiful being, tarnishing the title of tacticians."

Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I still have some pride in having once been a tactician," Grima said.

"And why should we trust you?" Lucina growled.

Grima tiredly sighed as he looked at Lucina. "Must we go over this again? I mean you no harm as of now. In fact, I even helped you three times already.  
"The first was back when Frederick decided to fight my Deadlord, Equus, all on his own. Terrible decision, by the way. Anyways, as you already know, the knight was soundly defeated by Equus, and would've been killed had I not told Equus to retreat. The second was when that damned Aversa summoned the horde of Risen at the highroad against my will. They would've easily ambushed you had I not held them off, and I even had them make way to allow Lucina and Morgan to find Robin. The third was right after that when Draco was about to kill our little princess. I momentarily stopped her just enough for Robin to save Lucina."

Robin recalled the fight with Draco. He always found it odd at the sudden hesitation when she was bringing her dagger down on Lucina, but now it made sense.

"I'm _actually_ helping you here," Grima insisted.

"You have another reason to help us aside from wanting the death of Excellus," Lon'qu speculated, narrowing his eyes.

"Wow, I'm impressed, Lon'qu," Grima said. "I didn't think I was so transparent."

"What's your ulterior motive?" Lucina demanded, clenching her fists.

"My _'_ _ulterior motive'_ is mutually beneficial to the both of us," Grima calmly replied. "I merely wish for Robin and Reina to make it through this war without dying."

"But why?"

This time, it was Cordelia that spoke.

"Why would you, the Fell Dragon, wish for Robin and Reina's well-being?"

Grima's brow furrowed in mild confusion. Then, his eyes widened as he looked at each one of the Shepherds' faces before settling on Robin.

"No…don't tell me…" Grima chortled. "You mean...you haven't told them?"

"The topic never came up," Robin scowled, eliciting another laugh from Grima.

"Don't give me that, Robin," Grima chuckled. "I'm sure the topic must've come up at least once, especially after our meeting in Plegia."

"Robin, what is he talking about?" Chrom asked, worry creeping into his voice.

"Yes, Robin, what _am_ I talking about?" Grima innocently asked, a sneer plastered on his face.

Robin bit his lip, unable to bring himself to answer.

"Silence… Alright, then allow me to tell you in his stead," Grima said as he turned his head towards Chrom. "Did it not seem strange that your tactician and I, the Fell Dragon, share the same face? And is it not even moreso that I said that I was once called 'Robin'?"

Chrom frowned. His eyes slowly started to widen as he started to figure out the connection between Robin and Grima.

"And you, little princess." Grima turned to Lucina. "Did you not find it suspicious that the Robin of your world never returned with the Shepherds? Was it not strange that Robin would come to you even before the Shepherds only to vanish into the night? And did you never think on the rumor of how your father was betrayed, and killed, by his best friend?"

Lucina's face paled. She then slowly turned to look at Robin.

"That's right," Grima cackled. " _I_ killed Chrom in your future. I _am_ Robin. In fact, Robin and I are one, for Robin houses the Heart of Grima, and so does our lovely Reina!"

A stunned silence fell on Chrom, Cordelia, Lucina, and Lon'qu, a silence that was broken by Grima's laughter.

"Robin…is…is this true?" Lucina hesitantly asked, not wanting to believe what she heard.

"…It's true."

Robin felt as if someone was piercing his heart with a metal rod as the words left his mouth. The pain got worse when he glanced up, immediately regretting his decision as he saw the look of betrayal on Lucina's face.

"So, Robin." Grima smiled wickedly at Robin. "About that shortcut that I was talking about…"

Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, before that…" Grima paused, frowning. "Why is it that you didn't awaken back in your world?"

Robin blinked, not sure how to answer that question.

"Sorry, allow me to rephrase that." Grima folded his arms. " _How_ did you not awaken? Your will should've been shattered the moment you betrayed Chrom. That should've caused you to accept your fate and - " Grima's wandering eyes landed on Lucina. " - oh…I see now! You had another tether to the world, didn't you!"

Robin could only nod as he remembered the last moments he spent in his world. He almost did become Grima back then by picking up the Emblem, but it was only by his will to bring Falchion to the young Lucina that he brought himself to Ylisstol. Robin wondered what would've happened had he not been brought to this world.

"Relations are something the the Robin of my world tended to avoid," Grima muttered. "His only friend back then was Chrom, whom he lost by running a dagger through his heart. I guess the same could apply for Reina? Though, I'm curious as to what tether _you_ had."

"I…" Reina started but promptly closed her mouth.

"Anyways, back to what I was saying," Grima cleared his throat. "Robin, how about you just join me sooner rather than later, and accept your fate as the Fell Dragon? It'd save us both a lot of time and trouble."

"No."

"Okay, I'll be taking my leave now," Grima said, slowly rising to his feet.

Robin narrowed his eyes. "Wait, that's it?"

"Why, of course," Grima said as if it was obvious. "I wouldn't want to force anything on you yet. Besides, it would seem you've a lot to talk about."

Turning around, Grima created another gate of darkness before walking into it. A moment later, the gate closed in on itself, but not before Grima let out another string of curses about shadow travel.

For what seemed like an eternity, no one moved or said anything. Robin was the first to break the monotonous mood as he stood up and started walking.

"Robin?" Reina called out.

"I'm…I'm gonna go for a small walk…" Robin muttered.

 _ **. . .**_

Robin didn't pay much attention as to where he was walking. His feet just moved and his body followed. Hundreds of thoughts were racing through his head as his legs slowed to a stop. Taking a look around, Robin found himself standing at the shore of Valm Harbor, just at the edge of the waves.

A dry smile formed on his face. This was the second time that his body would wander off while his mind was occupied, only to stop in front of a body of water, though he wasn't complaining. Hearing the crash of the waves was soothing to him.

Sighing, he put his hands in his pockets as he looked up at the moon. The sight of the moon hanging low over the night sky reminded him of _that_ night; the night when he arrived in Ylisstol half-dead with Falchion tucked away beneath his cloak. He wondered how his original world was faring. Robin was sure that they were doing well since with his disappearance, there would be no Fell Dragon. And with no Fell Dragon to come alive, they'd have peace. A peace that only came with Chrom's death and his own "death". Though, did he truly die? Or was he just transported here by some third party?

Robin felt a small tingle run down his spine along with someone's presence approaching from behind him. It wasn't hostile, nor was it peaceful.

"Hello, Lucina."

The soft footsteps on the sand abruptly came to a halt.

"How did you know it was me?" Lucina asked.

A humorless laugh escaped Robin's throat. "I told your sister this once before, but everyone has their own distinct way of walking. If you pay close enough attention, you can easily figure out who someone is from afar from their gait, or in this case, from the sounds of their footsteps."

"I-I didn't realize…"

"Don't worry about it so much. It's just something that I subconsciously do. Guess it comes with being a tactician and being overly perceptive of one's surroundings."

Neither said a word as they listened to the waves.

"So." Robin turned around to face Lucina. "How can I help you?"

Robin couldn't get a read on Lucina's expression. Her face was just like the one that she wore when she arrived in this world. It was cold, emotionless, and hardened. Her eyes would avoid his as she looked out onto the horizon, her hand tightly wrapped around Falchion's hilt.

"Lucina?"

After nearly a minute, Lucina finally spoke in a quiet and calm voice.

"Growing up, I always looked up to my father," Lucina started. A sense of longing could be seen in her eyes as she continued to speak. "He was kind, strong, and a just leader. Everyone would look to him for guidance and leadership. He would often visit the rural areas of Ylisse to aid those less fortunate. Whatever time he could find to spare, he'd spend that time with mother, Severa, and I."

Not entirely sure as to where she was going with this, Robin remained silent as he simply listened to Lucina.

"Coming to this world, I was overjoyed to see my father alive again," Lucina continued. "Here he was, young and in his prime, yet still just as courageous and charismatic as I remembered. I always yearned to know him better, to be closer to my father, which is something I was never able to do before. Now, I do…but…" Lucina trailed off, shutting her eyes.

 _But?_ Robin couldn't help but feel an air of dread fall on him.

"But, now I learned - no…I always knew, but I merely chose to avoid it." Lucina opened her eyes and turned to face Robin.

Robin was taken aback at the amount of pain and sadness in her eyes.

"Why?" Lucina whispered. "Why did you betray Father? You were - _are_ so close to each other! What made you betray him so?"

Robin dropped his gaze. What could he say in this situation? That he was possessed and controlled? He knew that Lucina would never believe such a tale, even if it was true.

"If you have nothing to say, then…" Lucina took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, Robin."

The sound of metal sliding against metal could be heard as Lucina unsheathed Falchion. With a trembling hand, she raised it at Robin, an action that didn't come as a surprise to the tactician.

"F-Forgive me, Robin, but I must kill you," Lucina shakily said. "I-I do not have a choice if I am to not only save my father, but the world from the Fell Dragon's reign."

Lucina was well aware that despite not having a sword at the moment, Robin was still a very capable fighter. His unarmed combat skills and his aptitude for magic were second to none, but even so, she kept her sword pointed at Robin's heart.

"Lucina - "

"Do not move!" Lucina yelled. "Please…don't move…"

Robin bitterly smiled. "Tell me, Lucina. Am I a monster?"

Lucina was taken aback at his question. "Wh-what?"

"Am I a monster?" Robin repeated.

"...Why do you ask me this?" Lucina expected Robin to get angry at her, to hate her. Common sense would make it so that one would fight back when their life under threat, and yet, Robin didn't even seem the least bit angry at her. Rather, his eyes contained a deep sorrow that she had never seen before.

Robin turned around to look at the ocean. "I think myself as one. I mean, who else would willingly annihilate a fleet of a thousand ships, each packed to the brim with lives? I estimate that the Valmese sent around five-hundred thousand men to Ylisse. That's five-hundred thousand men that were slaughtered without even being able to fight back due to _my_ strategy."

"But you had - "

"No choice?" Robin let out a humorless laugh. "I had plenty of other ways to engage the Valmese fleet, but I chose the one that burned them alive." He turned around. "You know, I think one of the worst ways to die would be drowning. You can't do anything about it as water slowly fills your lungs. You claw for air, only for it to be out of your reach as you slowly sink into the depths of the water. You can't do anything except wait for the slow, agonizing death. Though…" Robin looked back to the ocean. "Being boiled and burnt alive are quite similar in that regard. _That_ is the kind of deaths that I gave to those soldiers."

"Robin, that's - "

"And in a way, I'm the reason for the hellish world that you were forced to grow up in," Robin continued, his voice soft. "If it wasn't for me, you could've lived a happy life; a life where you would never have had to take up the sword. Your parents and family would be alive, and you'd be able to live your life out in peace."

"But, the Grima from my time wasn't you!" Lucina cried out.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

Robin slowly walked over to Lucina, stopping just within reach of Falchion.

"You heard what he said. I am Grima, and Grima is me. Robin and Grima are one and the same, no matter the world."

To prove his point, Robin pulled off the glove on his right hand and revealed the Mark of Grima. Normally, the Mark would be nothing more than a purple colored tattoo on his hand, but right now, it was glowing. The Mark was pulsating and almost looked as if it was alive. Lucina inadvertently took a step back at the grotesque sight.

"Even since I met him in Plegia, it's been acting like this," Robin said, slipping his glove back on. "I've been feeling a tug in the depths of my mind, a tug that's been telling me to give in and become Grima. To accept my fate."

"Why…"

"You're going to have to be a little more specific than that, Lucina," Robin wryly smiled.

"Why are you telling me this?" Lucina asked, her voice shaking.

Robin shrugged. "I don't know myself. I just felt like I had to."

Another brief moment of silence came across the two as they stood on the shore.

"Why…"

"You've got to stop asking such vague, one worded questions."

"Why are you so willing to accept death?"

Robin tilted his head in confusion. "I could ask you a similar question. Why haven't you killed me yet?"

Lucina was taken aback once more with Robin's question.

"Don't you hate me?" Robin asked. "I'm the reason that you're here right now. I stabbed your father in the back. I slaughtered countless Ylisseans, Plegians, Feroxi, and Valmese. I committed a genocide against every living thing in your world."

Lucina shook her head. "That wasn't you, Robin. It was Gri- "

"I AM Grima!" Robin yelled, causing Lucina to flinch from the sudden anger. He then bit his lip, not having meant to raise his voice. "You said it, Grima said it, I _know_ it…" Robin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "How different am I from him? How many families did I tear apart with my strategies? How many mothers will eternally wait for a son or husband that will never return? How many - " Robin grimaced as he choked out the last few words. "How many children became orphans because of me?"

His last line struck a chord in Lucina.

"You…you're talking about me…" Lucina realized.

Robin grimly nodded. "As I said before, if it wasn't for me, you would've had a happy life. I'd much rather continue living, but what's one life weighed against millions? If I'm to be the sacrifice required to prevent such a dire future, how could I say _"No"_ to that?"

Memories flashed through Lucina's mind. Scenes that were once full of warmth and joy were brought to ruin instantly as if someone flipped a switch. The Shepherds, once proud and strong, were now nothing more than a pile of dead bodies. Looming over the Shepherds was a city sized dragon, its six, glowing red eyes piercing through the darkness. The scene blurred out as Lucina was brought back to reality. Robin was standing in front of her, his arms resting at his side. She could see Falchion wavering in her hands as her resolve to end Robin's life started to crumble.

"You can't falter now, Lucina," Robin coaxed. "You have a chance to end Grima's life, or at least one of them."

Slowly, with a trembling hand, Lucina raised Falchion.

"Just one, final request," Robin said. A longing gaze was in his eyes. "Take care of Morgan."

Fighting back tears, Lucina readied herself to swing Falchion. With a cry of grief, she swung Falchion down. The divine blade fell, easily slicing through Robin's magically reinforced cloak, and the sand was stained red with blood.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"Why are you here?"

Lon'qu opened his eyes. He was in Reina's room as she was sitting down on her bed, her head held in her hands. Ever since Grima revealed himself, Reina hadn't said a word as she was lost in her own thoughts. She was aware of Lon'qu leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Can I not be here?" Lon'qu grunted.

"I thought you'd hate me," Reina said, not looking up.

"…"

"Don't you?"

Lon'qu's face didn't change at Reina's question.

"Why would I hate you?"

Reina blinked. "I betrayed all of you!"

"In your world. Not this one."

"That doesn't change the fact that I betrayed you…"

"Did you want to?"

Reina paused, not having expected the question.

"What?"

"Did you want to betray us in your world?" Lon'qu repeated.

"Of course not!" Reina exclaimed.

"Then that's a good enough reason for me to still be here," Lon'qu simply said.

Reina's jaw dropped. Then her lips formed a small smile.

"You…" Reina shook her head.

Lon'qu raised an eyebrow. Before Reina could finish her line, which was most likely going to be a light hearted insult at Lon'qu, the door burst open.

"Mother!" Marc's eyes danced wildly around the room. "Are you alright?!"

"Calm yourself, Marc," Lon'qu said, placing a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Panicking in this situation will not help in the slightest. It goes for everything else in life, as well."

Marc sheepishly looked down at his feet as scratched his cheek. "R-Right."

Lon'qu then looked over at Reina. He was about to push Marc towards her but froze when he noticed the strange look on her face. He felt as if he was being studied upon, not unlike how Miriel would observe Kellam.

"Yes?" Lon'qu raised his eyebrow once more, feeling slightly unnerved by Reina's intense gaze. "Is something the matter?"

A pink hue formed on Reina's cheeks as she quickly looked away.

"I-It's nothing..." she muttered, scratching her cheek. "I just thought that you'd make a good fa..."

Her voice trailed off as her face reddened even further, leaving Lon'qu in the dark. Reina was already speaking in a quiet voice for most of the night, making it difficult for him to make out any words, and it was impossible for him to have heard the last bits of what she said earlier.

"You know, mister Lon'qu?" Marc flashed him a bright grin. "I think you'd make a really good dad!"

The red on Reina's cheeks spread to the tips of her ears in an instant.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Chrom was in a panic. After Robin left for his walk, he and Cordelia started to return to their room when he noticed that Lucina was missing. Normally, he wouldn't have worried so much, but after the meeting with Grima and the news he said, he was afraid that Lucina would do something rash. She was, after all, his daughter, and Chrom was reminded repeatedly that he made some ridiculously rash decisions.

He was running through the streets of Valm Harbor when a shadow descended from above him. He looked up to see his wife flying low on her pegasus. The moon was shining brightly overhead, making it seem like Cordelia was glowing, but Chrom didn't have time to appreciate the beauty of his wife descend from the heavens.

"Chrom!"

"Cordelia! Did you find them?" Chrom hopefully asked.

Cordelia nodded. "They're at the beach."

Chrom mentally kicked himself. The beach should've been the most obvious spot, and here he was, running through the town like a jester.

"Let's go!" Chrom said, jumping onto Cordelia's pegasus.

"Matoi, to the beach!" Cordelia said to her pegasus.

Matoi whinnied as she took off into the skies. The wind howled in Chrom's ears as he tightly held onto Cordelia's waist. Within seconds, they were halfway across town and the beach came into view. Two silhouettes could be seen standing at the water's edge. Chrom realized with a shock that the figures were Robin and Lucina, and the latter was pointing her sword at the former.

"What is Lucina doing?" Chrom wondered.

Cordelia gasped when Lucina started to raise her sword.

"Don't tell me… LUCINA!" Chrom yelled, hoping that his voice would reach the two on the ground.

"Matoi, hurry!" Cordelia urged.

With a burst of speed, Matoi folded her wings as she dived. The ground approached them at an alarming speed before Matoi spread her wings out to slow their fall, flying a few feet off the ground. Chrom jumped off the pegasus's back before she even touched the ground. Then Lucina's sword fell, creating a golden arc through the air.

Chrom watched in horror as Lucina's Falchion descended onto Robin's collarbone. Then, the divine blade made contact with Robin's skin.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Robin closed his eyes when he saw Falchion fall. What should've been less than a second lasted for an eternity as he waited for Lucina's judgement. As he waited, the tiniest of smiles formed on his face. He thought back to two years ago, back in Ferox, when Lucina and Reina first met. He always wondered why Reina had a smile on her face when Lucina nearly killed her, and now he understood why.

In a way, it was an atonement. An atonement for what he committed in his world, rightfully delivered by Lucina's hand.

When Falchion finally connected, Robin felt pain. Then the pain stopped at just at the first layer of his skin.

"?"

Robin opened his eyes. Lucina had without a doubt swung Falchion down as hard as she could. The pain from the blade's impact alone said that much. But why wasn't Robin dead?

He looked down at Falchion. The blade had a faint, golden glow to it as it rested on his collarbone. A small cut could be seen on his skin as blood flowed down the blade and onto the sand. Robin's eyes then moved to Lucina's face.

The princess's eyes were tightly closed shut as her arms trembled. She didn't even realize that Falchion had stopped just before inflicting a grievous wound.

"Lucina?"

Lucina slowly started to open her eyes. They shot open when she noticed Robin standing and Falchion resting on his shoulder.

"W-Why? How?" Lucina seemed just as confused as Robin was.

Robin shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"It's because of Falchion. Just as the blade would dull when someone not of the Exalted line would wield it, Falchion's blade would dull whenever the wielder would not want to harm someone, even if the wielder doesn't know it."

Robin and Lucina both turned to the new voice.

"F-Father!" Lucina stammered.

"Chrom." Robin pivoted on his foot to face his friend. He noticed Cordelia a few steps behind Chrom with her pegasus. "You say that, yet Falchion drew blood."

"Yeah, that tends to happen when a strong force meets skin," Chrom retorted. "Even blunt weapons can do that." He then turned his attention to Lucina.

"Father, I can explain - "

Chrom raised a hand, cutting Lucina off.

"Let me take a guess as to what's going on here," Chrom said. "After finding out that Robin is Grima, you decided to take it upon yourself to kill him as he is now to prevent Grima from rising in this world."

Lucina averted her gaze as she looked at her feet.

"Judging from your reaction, I'm assuming that I'm right," Chrom stated. "Now, allow me to pose a question to you, Lucina. If you _did_ kill Robin here, what would've been your next course of action?"

Lucina gave her father a confused look.

"How would you have killed Grima?" Chrom asked. "You saw what Falchion did to him when you stabbed him. All it did was cause him a bit of discomfort despite the fact that you stabbed his heart. If Falchion, a divine sword made from one of Naga's fangs, a sword created with the sole purpose to destroy Grima, wasn't able to kill him through what would normally be a mortal wound, what makes you think anything else would? Not only that, you heard Grima say that Reina was also a Heart of Grima. Were you planning on killing her as well?"

"I…I hadn't thought about that," Lucina admitted.

Chrom sighed, his eyes softening. "Lucina, I know your heart is in the right place. I know that you think what you're doing is right. Hell, it actually might be the best course of action to save the world."

Robin winced. It was one thing to hear Lucina say that his sacrifice would be for the greater good, but hearing it from Chrom was something else entirely.

"But even so, I trust Robin. You cannot shake my faith in him."

A sudden warmth spread through Robin's chest upon hearing Chrom's words.

"This isn't about how much trust you have in him!" Lucina countered. "You - "

"Lucina." Chrom's voice was level. "Do you trust me?"

"What?!" Lucina was appalled at her father's question. "Of course I trust you!"

"Do you trust Robin?" Chrom asked.

"I…" Lucina's voice dropped. "I…I do not know…"

"If you can't trust Robin, then I ask that you trust the faith that I have in Robin," Chrom said.

"But I… "

"Lucina, it's alright," Cordelia said, standing by Chrom. "I trust Robin as well."

"Mother…"

"You don't have to carry this burden by yourself," Cordelia softly said. "You aren't alone anymore."

Robin could feel Lucina's inner turmoil. Part of her wished to believe what her parents were saying, while the other was still holding onto her original resolve of preventing the rise of the Fell Dragon, but her resolve was falling apart. She just needed one more push.

"Robin."

Chrom was staring intently at the tactician.

"Can you forgive Lucina?" Chrom asked.

"No, I can't."

There was no hesitation in Robin's words. Lucina felt as if a knife was plunged through her heart at Robin's reply.

"I-I see…" Chrom muttered, scratching the back of his head. "I suppose it was too much to ask - "

"How can I forgive her when she never needed it in the first place?"

It took a moment for Robin's words to register in everyone's heads.

"Wait, you mean - " Chrom started.

"I never held this against her," Robin clarified, smiling lightly at Lucina. "She chose the course of action that she thought was best and acted upon it despite the pain that it inflicted."

"Robin…" Lucina's eyes started to water.

"Robin…I- I don't know what to say," Chrom said.

"A "thank you" would be nice," Robin smirked.

"You snarky - " Chrom laughed. "Thank you, Robin. Truly."

"You're welcome."

Cordelia moved forward and threw her arms around Robin.

"Thank you, Robin," Cordelia sniffed.

"We should get some rest," Chrom suggested after Cordelia broke off the hug. "It's been a long day and the sun is only a few hours from rising. We'll need all the rest we can get."

"Yeah…" Robin nodded. "Though, I think I'll stargaze for a little longer, if you don't mind."

"Alright, don't stay out too late."

"I won't."

Chrom and Cordelia turned around to leave. Cordelia's pegasus, Matoi, was nowhere to be seen. She most likely flew back to the stables on her own, leaving Robin and Lucina behind. For a few minutes, neither said anything as one stared up at the stars above and the other at the ground.

"Don't be," Robin suddenly said.

Lucina looked up.

"You're feeling sorry, aren't you?" Robin turned around. "You have no need to be sorry."

"I tried to kill you!" Lucina cried. "I almost did!"

"But you didn't."

"But I still drew my blade at you!"

Tears started to flow freely down Lucina's face. Without thinking, Robin moved forward and wrapped his arms around her. Lucina's shoulders never felt so small until now. Her arms tightly gripped his back as she cried into his chest.

"As I said, I never held that against you," Robin tenderly stroked her hair. "You did what you thought was right, and I even urged you on. I don't blame you, nor will I ever blame you."

"I'm sorry," Lucina sobbed, clenching the hems of Robin's robe. "I'm so, so sorry."

"It's alright," Robin coaxed. "It's alright."

No more words were spoken as the two held their embrace under the moonlit night.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 _~ In Plegia Castle's throne room ~_

"And this makes three!"

Grima dusted his hands as he took a step back. Standing a few steps in front of him was a newly summoned Deadlord, Simia. Her emerald colored hair was tied up into a ponytail. She was dressed in a blue, one-piece garb with a matching robe. A red sash was wrapped around her waist and black pauldrons were placed on her shoulders. She had on brown boots and gloves and she had fur lining the collar of her thin robe and boots. Strapped to her sides were to blades, both similar to the blades of Chon'sin make; one a regal blade that had a faint glow surrounding it and the other a golden sword with a thicker blade.

"Who are you?" Simia asked.

"I am Grima, the Fell Dragon," Grima responded. "And these two…" Grima gestured to Equus and Draco standing behind him. "…are your new companions, two of eleven others."

The look that Simia gave Grima was full of loathing. She knew that she was a Risen. A Deadlord, to be precise.

"I can't go against your orders even if I wanted to…" Simia muttered.

"Correct!" Grima brought his hands together. "Oh, but don't worry. I'm not going to send you off to massacre an entire village or anything of the sort."

This piqued Simia's curiosity as she raised an eyebrow at Grima.

"Why have you summoned me?" Simia asked.

"Simply put, I'm bored," Grima replied. "I've laid waste to one world already, so it'd be boring to do so again. Which is why I decided to play a little game; a game between me and Robin, Deadlords versus Shepherds. Of course, I could just throw an endless onslaught of Risen at them, but what fun would that be. Not to mention that my strength is currently limited, so I'd rather use it on quality, not quantity."

"You desecrate the deceased for your own amusement?" Simia scowled.

"Well, if you put it that way, it makes me sound like a bad guy," Grima grumbled.

The Deadlord's hands flew to the hilts of her swords.

"In any case, the Shepherds, as of now, are weak," Grima continued, paying no mind to Simia's aggression. "Which is why it's the job of you, the Deadlords, to intervene every now and then to toughen them up. The stronger they get, the better."

Simia glared daggers at Grima as her hands tightly clenched her swords. For a moment, Grima thought she was actually going to strike, but she withdrew her hand at the last second. Without saying a word, she briskly walked passed him and left the throne room without sparing anyone a glance.

"Oh, one last thing," Grima called to the retreating Simia. "You might find Robin to be very familiar to someone you hold dear."

Simia briefly paused at Grima's words before continuing her walk. As she closed the door behind her, Equus and Draco vanished into the shadows, leaving the Fell Dragon's avatar alone.

"Now then…" Grima turned his attention to the nine relics remaining on the Dragon's Table. "Who should I bring in next?"

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 **This chapter was difficult to write. Emotional things aren't really my thing, so I've gone through a bunch of drafts for this chapter. Once again, not writing out a detailed draft for chapters comes back to bite me in the ass.**

* * *

 **But yeah, the "Lucina's Judgement" event came a LOT earlier than it normally should and in a different manner. I was originally going for a more…angry version, but I didn't like it. So, I scrapped that and got stuck on this for a long time. Any comments or critiques to make this better would be appreciated.**

 **The reason why I swapped to a more emotional version of "Lucina's Judgement" is because of how close Robin and Lucina are in** _ **Another Awakening**_ **. Sure, there's the one when F!Robin is Lucina's mother and the other when M!Robin is Lucina's husband, and the mother one is very well written, but I wanted to tackle this from a different angle.**

 **The game doesn't really portray emotion much, and I thought, _'_** _ **How much pain and grief was Lucina going through when she raised her blade at Robin?'**_ **My answer: a LOT.  
Going off of that initial thought, I also got some ideas from the Future Past DLC during the dialogue between Lucina and Grima!Robin when one of the Future Children die in the level.**

 **Think about it. How much pain would it cause you if you were given the choice between sacrificing your mother, significant other, or your closest friend, to save the world? If I was in Lucina's shoes, I don't know what I would do.  
(And yes, there's always going to be that one person who feels no emotion and says something along the lines of **' _ **I'd just kill them.'**_ **But we all know that they aren't telling the truth.)**

 **And in AA's Robin's case, he knew that Lucina was stuck between the two choices, so he pushed her into making the decision of sacrificing himself.**

 **Speaking of, Robin is not suicidal. That was not my intention when writing this chapter out. He just acted on the choice to save the world.**

* * *

 **On another note, I finally beat Fire Emblem: Echoes the other day. It's a great game. Story was good, albeit a little predictable, gameplay was good, but what really stuck out to me was the voice acting of certain characters (minus a certain blue-armored, horse riding ally. His was mediocre) and the music. Oh my holy sweet Mila and Naga, the music for the game is absolutely fantastic. One of the best I've ever heard.  
**

 **So, things about the game (No spoilers, just the game mechanics and whatnot, so don't worry about being spoiled):  
\- Dual Support is gone, which I'm completely fine with. It was there in Awakening and Fates, which I was fine with, but I never heavily relied on the Dual Attack or blocking system.  
\- Damage immunity/"No Damage!" is no longer a thing. Both you and your enemy will ALWAYS take damage, even if you completely outclass your opponent. The least amount of damage you'll take is 1 point of damage.  
\- The Weapon Triangle (Swords - Axes - Spears) is gone. All weapons will fare equally against each other.  
\- All magic is put into two categories, Black and White. Black magic is any sort of offensive magic, such as Fire, Thunder, and Nosferatsu. White magic is any support magic, such as Recover, Physic, and Warp. They have infinite charges, similar to Fates, but all magic (with the exception of Nosferatsu) will require a set amount of HP to cast.  
For example, Fire has a cost of 1, Thunder has a cost of 3, and Recover has a cost of 1. If you double-attack an enemy with Fire, you'll lose 2HP in total. Double with Thunder and that's 6HP in total.  
Going by that, if you don't have enough HP to cast magic, then you can't. If you have 1HP, the only way you'll be able to cast magic is by getting healed.  
All the rules of magic casting applies to the enemy as well with the exception of some bosses.**

 **The only thing that I didn't really like was the Hit-Rate, which is mainly due to my luck with RNG. I had dozens of 99s miss while the enemy would hit me with a friggin 7. That's absurd. Same with the Crits. I had a 41 fail to proc countless times while the enemy would have a single-digit Crit rate and it'd proc, which kills my unit and causes me to soft reset the game.  
But, once again, that's just me and my terrible RNG luck. My friend never had that problem.**

* * *

 **And that's pretty much it.**

 **Oh. And Act 4, Celica 1.  
Fuck. That. Map.**

* * *

 **For those of you that wish to review, I don't mind if you talk about the game mechanics and your opinions on the game, but please, PLEASE, for the sake of other readers, DO NOT POST SPOILERS! Of any kind. The game is still relatively new and many people have yet to play it. So, out of consideration for them, please refrain from posting any spoilers. If you wish to talk to me about the game, just send me a PM. That's what they're for, after all.**

* * *

 **Happy 6 months again. See you all in the next!**


	28. (XXVII) Long Night of Solace

**Guess what? I'm not dead. This story is still alive.**

 **Long story short, I ended up with a really bad case of writer's block. But thanks to that, I was able to brainstorm a bunch of ideas for new FanFics and stuff. More on that in the ending Author's Note.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

The following morning, Robin and Reina gathered the Shepherds in the town hall. Well, it was called a town hall, but it looked more like a church than anything. It was a decently sized building made of grey stone with an arched ceiling. Circular shaped windows lined the walls and rows of pews filled the floor. At the front of the room was a gilded podium.

The Shepherds filled the first couple rows of pews as they looked up at Robin, Reina, and Lucina standing behind the podium while Chrom and the other Future Children stood off to the side. Whispers ran back and forth among the Shepherds as they waited for the news, whispers that ceased once Chrom raised his hand, motioning for Robin and Reina to start.

"I realize that all of you, with the exception of Princess Say'ri, already know about the future that Lucina, Severa, Inigo, Owain, and Cynthia hail from," Robin said. "However, what you were told is only the tip of the iceberg. Now, I - no, _we_ believe that it's only fair that you are told the full story, including the past of Reina and I…and what we've done."

Curious looks were tossed around as Robin stepped back and Lucina stepped in front of the podium. For the next quarter of an hour, she proceeded to talk of her grim future. She talked about how the Shepherds were betrayed while not mentioning Robin or Reina, the hopeless war against the Fell Dragon, how the Shepherds fell one by one to either the Fell Dragon himself or his Deadlords, and the horrid life that they lived. By that point in time, it was no longer a battle against the Grima and his forces, but a survival.

As Lucina spoke, the other children would also add in their tales from different perspectives and the events that they personally experienced. While the others spoke their part, Lucina recalled the talk that she had with her sister an hour ago, just before breakfast.

* * *

 _"_ _You're_ _so stupid, you know that?"_

 _Lucina raised an eyebrow at her sister, who was still brushing her hair. She had just briefed Severa, Inigo, Owain, and Cynthia of the events that occurred the previous night. They were shocked and surprised when they were told of Grima, but then they all had different separate reactions when she told them about Robin and Grima's relation. Cynthia grimaced, Owain lowered his head, Severa frowned, and Inigo let out a sigh. And then she got to the part where she made an attempt on Robin's life, where Severa called her out._

 _"_ _What_ _do you mean?" Lucina pointedly asked her sister._

 _"Why would you try and kill Robin?" Severa glared._

 _"It was in hopes that the Grima of this world would not have the chance to rise!" Lucina exclaimed._

 _"So you thought it would be smart to kill off the tactician of the Shepherds, who is the reason why the Shepherds were victorious against Plegia and Valm, AND has the strength of a thousand men?" Severa countered._

 _Lucina tried to form a reply, but Severa didn't give her the chance._

 _"Not only that, what about the Grima from our world? The one that followed us?" Severa continued. "How would you have dealt with him? And Reina? Did you even think this through?!"_

 _Lucina sighed, rubbing her temples. Severa had repeated the words that Chrom said earlier, much to her chagrin._

 _"You're all taking this pretty calmly," Lucina noticed, looking at Cynthia, Owain, and Inigo. "About Robin and Reina being Grima, that is."_

 _The others glanced at one another._

 _"Welllllll…" Cynthia gave Lucina a pitiful smile. "We all pretty much came to that conclusion already, or we had high suspicions of it."_

 _"What."_

 _"_ _Yeah_ , _you were the only one that didn't realize it," Inigo said._

 _"Because she was too busy making oogly eyes at him to notice," Severa muttered._

 _Heat rushed to Lucina's face. "I-I do not!"_

 _"_ _You_ _kinda do…" Owain agreed._

 _The color of Lucina's face nearly matched the shade of Severa's hair._

* * *

Lucina was brought back to the present when Robin placed a hand on her shoulder, telling her that it was now his and Reina's turn to speak. Nodding, Lucina stepped off the podium and stood next to her father.

"You did well," Chrom smiled.

"Thank you, Father," Lucina replied.

The cerulean princess then turned her attention to the tacticians, who just began speaking. They told the story of how they were found in the field by their version of Chrom and the following wars, including the the few deaths of the Shepherds. When they mentioned the part of their betrayal, there was an uproar from a few members of the Shepherds, an uproar that was quickly suspended by a single glare from their prince.

Thankful for Chrom's help, Robin and Reina continued their story until the very end, where they slipped through the world.

"Now you've heard our stories," Reina finished. "The _full_ story."

For a few moments, only the wounds of the bustling town was heard as not a single Shepherd said a word.

"Oookay?" Gaius drawled, putting his hands behind his head. "And?"

The nonchalant tone in Gaius's voice took the tacticians and a couple others by surprise.

"What do you mean by that, Gaius?" Vaike growled. "They just told us that they betray us in the future!"

"That they did," Gaius said as he casually unwrapped another candy. "From the way they said it, I don't think they wanted to kill Chrom."

"Like hell they didn't want to!" Sully yelled. "They stabbed Chrom in the heart! Tell me how that wasn't intentional!"

"And why would they want to kill Chrom?" Gaius asked.

"Were you not listening?" Sully fumed. "Robin and Reina are Grima! By killing Chrom, no one else would be able to wield Falchion and they won't be able to be stopped!"

"So why haven't they killed Chrom yet?"

Sully paused, unable to form an answer.

"Sully, I get where you're coming from, but I don't think Robin and Reina are they type to betray us," Stahl said. "I mean, they've helped us a bunch of times and kept us alive during the war with Gangrel."

"That could've been a ploy," Sully growled.

"For what?"

"To gain our trust, of course!" Vaike shouted. "Then they'd stab us in the back, just like they did to Chrom!"

There were a few murmurs of agreements among the Shepherds.

"I do not believe that would be the case," Virion voiced. "We would have all been nothing but ants beneath their feet when we first met, for that was, and for the most part, still is the gap between our strengths."

"I concur," Miriel agreed, adjusting her glasses. "The odds of us standing a chance against even one of them and surviving is miniscule. Were it their objective to kill the Exalted bloodline, the best chance would have been when Robin and Reina first awoke two years and four months ago when they were first found in the field."

"Frederick!" Sully desperately turned to the loyal knight. "You of all people should agree with us! Robin and Reina are a danger to Chrom and Lissa! Your lieges!"

Frederick took in a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"I understand your suspicions," Frederick slowly said, carefully choosing his words. "My loyalty lies with the safety of the royal family and I swore an oath to keep them from harm until my dying breath."

Robin's face dropped. He knew that Frederick would be the most difficult one here. The knight's paranoia of him in the beginning knew no bounds and Robin wondered if he would ever gain the knight's trust.

"Then, you agree with - "

"However!" Frederick cut Vaike off. "I have decided to place my trust in our tacticians."

Sumia let out a small squeal as she tightly hugged Frederick.

"HA!" Vaike pumped his fist into the air. "I knew Freddy would be on our - " Vaike frowned as he started to figure out what Frederick said. "Wait…what wuzzat?"

Sully shot to her feet. "You can't be serious! Frederick, these two killed Chrom! The ones that you swore to protect!" She then swept her arm around the room at the rest of the Shepherds. "And what about everyone else?"

"I trust my mother," Marc said.

"And I trust Father!" Morgan piped up, running over to Robin's side.

"Of course you two would," Severa scoffed.

Smiling, Robin wrapped an arm around Morgan's shoulders and ruffled her hair, causing the young girl to beam in delight.

"As I said before, I trust Bubbles and Snowflake," Gaius said.

"Me too!" Lissa chirped

"I'm with Robin," Stahl nodded.

"As am I," Virion bowed.

Robin's heart swelled as Lissa, Gaius, Stahl, and Virion sided with him. Sumia, Panne, Nowi, Ricken, Henry, Donnel, and Tharja also placed their trust in the tacticians.

"Uh…I-I don't think th-that Robin and Reina are bad people," Olivia squeaked from the corner. Her face turned beet red when eyes landed on her as she hid her face behind her hands.

"Our tacticians have yet to be wrong, no?" Gregor showed off a sparkling white smile. "Also, Gregor needs pay, and siding with tacticians bring best pay."

"And what about the rest of you?" Sully looked over at Lon'qu, Libra, Maribelle, Miriel, Cherche, and Say'ri.

"All the information that I've gathered has come to show that Robin and Reina have a greater chance to be an asset to the Shepherds," Miriel concluded. "While there are moments in which I may question their motives, I'm told that such actions that our tacticians take against our Exalt is all in "good fun" and is "only a joke"."

"Minerva has taken a liking to Robin," Cherche said. "I can't possibly bring myself to side against my dear Minervykins."

' _Minervykins?'_ Robin wondered.

"Naga has brought us together," Libra said. There was a bit of reluctance in the priest's voice. "I shall believe in Naga's wisdom despite the fact that Robin and Reina are the avatars for the Fell Dragon."

Lon'qu said nothing as he simply walked over and stood next to Reina, which was more than enough to prove his point. A few eyebrows were raised upon seeing the close proximity between Reina and Lon'qu, who was known for his gynophobia, but no one said anything.

"My darling Lissa has decided to place her trust in the two," Maribelle reluctantly sighed. "As much as I do not wish to, I will place my trust in them as well. I only hope that they do not make me regret my decision."

Everyone turned to look at Say'ri, who was the last one to voice her opinion.

"I will do what I must to free my country," Say'ri said. "If this is the road that I must walk, then walk it I shall."

Sully's jaw hung low as she failed to form any more words. Vaike looked like he was about to burst a vein as he stormed out of the room. He pushed the door open with enough force for it to crack the door frame and Robin could only wonder how much the repair cost for a broken door would be.

"Past events has shown that Robin and Reina have no ill intent towards milord," Frederick continued. "They have saved milord's and milady's life on many occasions when I was in no position to be of aid, and they have done the same for my wife as well."

"Who are you and what have you done with Frederick?" Gaius joked. "The you of a couple years ago would have attempted to kill Bubbles and Snowflake on the spot."

One corner of Frederick's mouth moved upwards to form one of the very few authentic smiles that they've seen Frederick show.

"I will admit that my views of our tacticians have changed over the course of the years," Frederick stated. "As the saying goes, action speaks louder than words."

"I can't believe this," Sully huffed.

The crimson cavalier followed Vaike out of the room but with much more composure than the first. The door didn't fare any better from the second user, however, and the door was now barely hanging on by only one of its hinges.

"What did that door ever do to them?" Robin mumbled.

"Right then." Gaius clapped his hands together and looked back over at Robin. "What now, o grand leader?"

Robin cocked an eyebrow, pointing a finger to his left. "Your leader is over there."

"Oh, I'm well aware," Gaius smirked. "But since Chrom seems to have been a mute for the past…I dunno…half hour, I figured I'd ask the second in command. No offense, Snowflake."

Reina shrugged. "None taken. Robin being second in command means less paperwork and less work in general for me."

"To answer your question, you're all free to do whatever you wish for the next few days," Robin said, shooting Reina a look of betrayal. "The local fishermen reported that a heavy storm will be arriving by sundown. If we were to march under terrible weather, it would wear down our troops."

"That being said, none of you better get sick in the next few days," Reina warned. "The last thing we need is for one of you to become a liability due to a reckless and irresponsible action."

"Else you'll sic your trusty swordsman on us?" Gaius slyly grinned, earning a few snickers from the Shepherds.

The sugar loving thief immediately regretted his words, not from Lon'qu's murderous vibe, but from look that he was receiving from the woman standing next to the swordsman. For the first time in his life, he understood why people would say that they were chilled to the bone; the glare that Reina was giving him was literally causing the temperature to drop as her pupils shone a blue hue, signifying that she was channeling Ice magic. He inadvertently shivered as a thin layer of ice started to form on his shirt.

Before he became a frozen treat himself, Gaius darted out of the room, leaving flakes of frost behind in his wake.

"Easy there, Rei," Cordelia laughed. "We still need him for his abilities."

With the mood having been lifted, the rest of the Shepherds filed out of the room. Lucina took a step forward to approach Robin when she noticed someone else walking up to the tactician.

"Lady Cherche," Robin politely greeted.

Cherche said nothing as she curled her finger over her lips, silently eyeing him. A pang of jealousy coursed through Lucina as Cherche continued to stare at Robin, who was starting to look a little uncomfortable. Even Morgan tightened her grip slightly on Robin's sleeve as she puffed out her cheeks at the wyvern rider. Lucina found that little action to be absolutely adorable.

"My room, ten minutes."

With those ambiguous words, the rose haired knight walked out of the room, leaving behind a very perplexed Robin.

 _ **. . .**_

The moment Robin stepped outside the town hall, he realized something very important. He had absolutely no idea where Cherche's room was.

Scratching his head, he looked around for the anything that was colored pink. The only thing he found that was pink, however, was Sumia's armor. But, it was better than nothing, so Robin figured that he might as well ask Sumia where Cherche's room was.

"Oh my, Robin!" Sumia gasped, her cheeks turning pink. "I didn't think that you'd be so forward!"

"Huh?"

"To think that you'd have set your sights on Cherche as well as Lucina," Sumia slyly grinned. "Well, it's quite understandable. Both of them _are_ very attractive ladies."

Robin groaned, understanding the implications behind Sumia's words.

"You and I are thinking about two entirely different things," Robin said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Am I?" Sumia giggled. "Then, why is it that you need to know where Cherche's room is? Perhaps for a late night visit on the night that we coincidentally got a break from marching?"

"No, nothing like that. I'm going because I…I don't know myself," Robin admitted. "Cherche just told me to meet her in her room as she was leaving the town hall."

Sumia's eyes went wide. "Cherche asked you?"

For some odd reason, Robin felt a tad bit insulted from that line.

"I didn't think…hmm…to think that she had that side to her...no, I always knew that she had a hidden side…she accompanies Virion a lot, so it's to be expected…"

Robin stayed silent for the next few seconds, allowing Sumia's fantasies to run wild.

"Sumia?"

More ramblings from the pegasus knight.

"Sumia," Robin said in a firm tone.

"No no no no no, they can't have gotten that far yet…but why would she…?"

Sumia's cheeks flushed red as she frantically shook her head back and forth. Robin didn't even want to know what was going on in Sumia's mind. Glancing up and down the street, Robin made sure that there wasn't a certain knight within the vicinity. After confirming that the certain knight wasn't anywhere nearby, Robin placed his thumb over the tip of his middle finger.

Slowly raising his hand, Robin held his hand hovering just a little ways off of Sumia's forehead. He then built up pressure behind his middle finger, and then -

*FLICK*

"HYAH!"

Sumia let out a startled yelp as she crouched down, holding her hands over her forehead.

"TACTICIAN!" A thunderous voice roared in the distance.

"Oh, Grima's balls…" Robin cursed.

Glancing up, Sumia looked up and down the street as she looked for the source of the all too familiar voice.

"Frederick?"

Robin felt the knight's presence rapidly approaching. How in the hells did Frederick know what Robin did?!

"Sumia, Cherche's room location, NOW!" Robin urged.

"U-uhh…" Sumia stammered.

"Sumia, please!"

"Third floor, second hall to the right, seventh room down on the left!" Sumia quickly said.

Giving the crouched pegasus knight a word of thanks, Robin ran down the street. He turned the first corner he came across and ran right into the very person that he was trying to avoid.

"Hello…Frederick." Robin gave the knight an awkward smile.

"Tactician," Frederick greeted. "I heard my wife's anguish cry just now, and I have a feeling that you have something to do with it."

"I think _'_ _anguished cry'_ is a bit of an exaggeration," Robin muttered.

"Hm?" Frederick raised an eyebrow at Robin.

"Nothing!" Robin quickly answered.

Before Frederick could react, the air folded around Robin as he teleported away from Frederick's looming ire.

 _ **. . .**_

Robin's hasty jump got him to the Shepherds' inn easily enough, but due to said haste, he made a small error; an error which caused him to rematerialize upside down.

Uttering a few colorful words, Robin shakily stood to his feet as he rubbed the top of his head in pain. Opening the door to the inn, he quickly made his way up the flight of stairs up to the third floor.

"Why are there so many stairs…" Robin huffed. "I'm really starting to hate them right now…"

* * *

 _|| Far away, in an alternate world and universe, a trio of travelers were walking up a large stairwell…||_

* * *

"Did I ever tell you two that - "

" - you don't like stairs?" A red haired girl finished. "Yes, you have. Over a dozen times already."

"Well, allow me to rephrase that then. I will soon be _loathing_ stairs."

With an exasperated groan, the red haired girl mumbled something about "scouting ahead" and quickly made her way up the stairs.

"Welp, there goes Jenna…"

"Please, stairs aren't _so_ bad, Robin," a green haired woman laughed.

"Says you…" Robin grumbled. "You know, Lyn, I think my dislike for stairs is going to top my dislike for sand and - " *ACHOO*

Lyn cast a worried look back at Robin. "Are you alright? Did you catch a cold, perhaps?"

Robin dismissively waved his hand. "I'm fine. Just a sneeze."

Lyn furrowed her brow but didn't pursue the subject.

* * *

 _|| Back in Another Awakening's world…||_

* * *

Finally arriving at Cherche's room, Robin lightly tapped on the door a few times.

"Come in." Cherche's soft voice sounded from behind the door.

With a click, Robin turned the handle to Cherche's room. As he expected as all of the Shepherds were staying in the same inn, Cherche's room layout was identical to his own aside from her personal effects scattered here and there.

"Lady Cherche." Robin lowered his head in a polite bow. "I believe you wished to see me?"

"Ah, Robin," Cherche smiled. "Not a minute late, may I add."

"I believe it to be quite discourteous to be late to a woman's invitation," Robin replied nonchalantly. He decided to leave out the part that nearly caused him to be delayed.

A light pink formed on Cherche's cheeks as she laughed lightly.

"How chivalrous," Cherche giggled. "But, as for the reason as to why I called you here…"

Cherche's eyes narrowed as she once again stared at Robin. Silence fell upon the two as Robin continued to be inspected under Cherche's piercing eyes. Once more, Robin couldn't help but notice that so many of the women that he came across had such strong eyes.

"Take off your cloak."

Before Robin could say a word in reply, there was a loud thud from just outside the room. Curious, both Robin and Cherche walked towards the door and opened it. Much to their confusion, no one was in the hallway, but Robin could've sworn that he saw a flash of blue vanish around the hall's corner.

"Strange…" Robin muttered, walking back into Cherche's room.

"Robin. Coat." Cherche had her hand out.

"Must I?" Robin hesitantly pulled back.

The tactician gave in when Cherche's eyes flared with an intensity to match a wyvern's. Slowly shrugging off his beloved robe, Robin handed it over to Cherche. Snatching the robe, Cherche walked over to a cabinet by her bed. Opening one of the many drawers, she took out a sewing kit.

Sitting down on her bed, Cherche flipped Robin's robe over until she finally found the spot she was looking for; the tear that his robe received from Lucina's Falchion.

"One moment."

Robin walked up to Cherche and placed his hand on his cloak. The entirety of the clothing shimmered for a fraction of a second before there was a sound similar to glass shattering.

"I disenchanted my robe; got rid of the magical reinforcement that was strengthening it," Robin explained. "Normally, not even a sword would be able to cut it, so your sewing needle wouldn't have been able to do anything. Now, you have free reign."

Cherche raised her brow momentarily before nodding.

"This may take a little while," Cherche told Robin. "Feel free to take a little walk. I'll find you when I'm done."

Robin nodded. "Very well."

Leaving the room, Robin closed the door behind him. He missed his cloak a deep breath, he made his way down the hall and exited the inn.

 ***Growl***

Robin froze. He rubbed his eyes, not sure as to what he was seeing. Hot, humid air blasted him in the face as he opened his eyes to see the terrifying sight of a wyvern's maw.

"H-Hello there, Miverva," Robin gingerly greeted the wyvern.

Was that drool dripping down from Minerva's lower jaw? And maybe it was a trick of the light, but Minerva's eyes seemed to have a predatory look to them, even more so as a wyvern.

"Uhh…M-Minerva?" Robin wanted to take a step back but his legs failed him as he remained rooted to the spot. "W-Why are you looking at me like - GAAH!"

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"Wooaahhh, this place is busier than Ylisstol!"

Morgan was practically skipping down Valm Harbor's market. Judging from the way everyone was bustling about, you wouldn't have guessed that a battle between two army divisions fought here a day prior. Sure, there were some buildings that were still under repair and the streets were still carved up due to a certain tacticians magic, which was definitely not Morgan, by the way, but the townsfolk didn't seem to mind.

"Hmm, heads or tails…"

Morgan passed by a man with long red hair and a dark green robe. She watched as he flipped a coin up into the air before catching it. Opening up his palm, he looked down at the coin and made a sour face.

"Tch, tails. Seems like Lady Luck isn't on my side today."

Pocketing the coin, the man vanished off into the crowd.

"Kamuiii! Jakob keeps picking on me!"

Morgan attention was drawn towards a group of four that was walking on the opposite side of the street from Morgan. Two of them looked very similar, almost as if they were brother and sister. Both had white hair and they were wearing a type of armor unlike anything that Morgan had ever seen. For some odd reason, they were both barefoot. Next to them was a silver haired man in a butler's outfit with a very stern looking face, and beside the butler was pink haired woman in a maid's outfit who had tears in her eyes. The maid was clutching onto the white haired girl's arm.

"Jakob, please hold back on teasing Felicia," the girl sighed.

"I mean no harm, Lady Kamui," the butler, Jakob, replied. "I am merely pointing out things that - "

"Woah woah woah, I'm going to stop you right there." Jakob was interrupted by the white haired boy as he raised his hand in a stopping gesture. "I don't think anything that'll follow those words will be good. Besides, Felicia is doing her best, isn't she?"

"Lord Corrin!" Felicia sniffed as she gave the boy, Corrin, a hopeful smile.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure Jakob doesn't mean it," Kamui said. "Right, Jakob?"

Jakob put a finger on his chin. "I mean every word I say, Lady Kamui. Please do not assume otherwise."

At this, Corrin pinched the bridge of his nose as Kamui facepalmed.

"Waah!" Felicia cried out. Tightly grabbing onto Kamui's cape, she started to sob into the clothing.

"Jakob, you were supposed to…ugh…" Corrin gave up on whatever it is that he was going to say. "Come on, let's hurry up and get back to the Dragon's Gate."

"Of course, Lord Corrin."

The four continued to walk down the street and vanished into the crowd.

"Hmm, that was pretty fun to watch," Morgan said to herself. "But what's a Dragon's Gate? Maybe Father knows what it is."

"What _"_ _what"_ is, Morgan?"

"EEP!"

Startled, Morgan wheeled around to see Lucina and Severa.

"Apologies, I did not mean to surprise you," Lucina said.

"It's fine," Morgan laughed. "I was just thinking to myself. You wouldn't happen to have heard of a _'Dragon's Gate'_ , would you?"

Lucina and Severa shared a glance at one another.

"A what gate?" Severa raised an eyebrow.

" _Dragon's_ Gate," Morgan repeated.

"Never heard of it," Severa replied.

Morgan pouted. "I suppose not."

"So, why are you out here in the market - "

"Greetings, my fine ladies!" A new voice interrupted Severa.

Morgan, Severa, and Lucina turned around to see a green armored knight walk over with a wide grin on his face. A dark purple shirt could be seen underneath his armor and a purple bandana could be seen on his forehead underneath his chestnut colored hair.

"Can we help you?" Severa asked, clearly annoyed that she was interrupted.

"I was passing by and I couldn't help but be enraptured by not one, but three, beautiful women all alone," the knight said, pulling out a rose out of nowhere. "Perhaps you wouldn't mind for some company?"

 _He reminds me of Inigo,_ Morgan thought.

If the knight felt the daggers that Severa was glaring at him, he didn't show it as he gave them a charming grin.

"I'm sorry, but who…exactly are you?" Lucina asked.

"Ah, of course!" The knight shirked backwards as if he was hit in the stomach. "My deepest of apologies for not introducing myself." Performing an extravagant bow, he continued, "My name is - "

"SAIN!" An angry voice yelled from down the street.

"Correct!" Sain straightened his posture. "I am - "

"Damn it, Sain!"

An orange haired knight in red armor stormed over and roughly grabbed Sain by the shoulder.

"How do you do, Kent?" Sain casually greeted the newcomer.

"Terrible, thanks to you," the red knight growled. "Where have you been this entire morning? Don't tell me you were out wooing more - " Kent glanced over and noticed the three girls.

"I see you've also noticed the three beauties in our midst," Sain grinned.

Pushing Sain behind him, Kent quickly lowered his head to Lucina, Morgan, and Severa.

"My apologies, miladies," Kent said. "I hope my companion hasn't caused you any trouble."

"No, none at all," Lucina kindly smiled.

"You're much too kind, milady." Kain lowered his head again.

"Such a lovely and alluring smile," Sain blissfully sighed.

Kent shot Sain a fierce look. "As for you… Do you've any idea how much trouble you caused this morning? Our company was supposed to have left hours ago, and now we're delayed due to your irresponsibility!"

"I cannot resist doing so, for it is in my nature, my friend," Sain grinned.

"I thought that your promotion to Commander would have righted your flirtatious personality," Kent groaned. Turning to the three Shepherds, Kent lowered his head once more. "My apologies once again. If you'll excuse us…"

Tightly grabbing onto his companion's arm, Kent walked down the street as he pulled Sain along.

"Gawds, that was like dealing with Inigo, only worse," Severa groaned. "At least Inigo is bearable, unlike that one."

"At least the red knight was okay," Lucina said. "He was like a mix between Sir Frederick and Lady Sully."

"Don't let her hear you call her ' _Lady'_ , else she might flip out," Severa smirked.

"That is true." Lucina then looked at Morgan. "What is it that you're doing out here, Morgan?"

"Sightseeing and shopping!" Morgan chirped. "Father's been looking down lately, so I've been thinking of getting him a gift to cheer him up!"

"Aww, you're such a good daughter," Severa grinned. She quickly, guilty glance down at the many bags that she was carrying, each one no doubt being items for her.

"But…" Morgan cast a solemn glow up into the distant sky. Dark clouds could be seen gathering as the storm approached. "I don't think I have much time left before the storm hits."

"How's this? Severa, you head on back to the inn. I'll help Morgan find a gift for Robin," Lucina offered.

"You'd do that?" Morgan perked up.

"Of course," Lucina replied.

"Tch, fine then," Severa scoffed. "I guess I'll just have to carry all this back myself."

"You'll be alright," Lucina reassured. "Besides, I did warn you to not buy so many pots."

Grumbling about the pots having been on sale, Severa trudged her way toward the inn. Morgan was worried for a second when Severa nearly lost her balance.

"Don't worry about her," Lucina said. "Severa won't be falling over. She won't let her…prizes get ruined. Not for anything."

"I-I see…"

"In any case, what do you plan on buying for Robin?"

Morgan frowned. "I'm not sure yet. I know Father likes tactics, but I'm sure he already amassed enough knowledge to write an entire library on strategy and tactics by himself."

"I believe your father would say something along the lines of, _"_ _One can never have enough knowledge."_ "

"Hmm…alright!"

A small light sparked to life in Morgan's eyes. That very spark died instantly when a terrified cry split the air from above. Lucina's hand immediately found its way to Falchion's hilt while lightning danced around Morgan's arm as their bodies naturally got ready for a fight.

"Minerva, down!"

Cherche ran by the two girls, staring up into the sky. Following her gaze, Morgan saw a wyvern, Minerva, to be precise, flying through the air with something dangling from her maw.

"What is that?" Lucina muttered, narrowing her eyes.

"No idea, but…" Morgan looked back at Cherche. The young girl's eyes widened upon seeing a certain piece of clothing in Cherche's arms.

"That's Father's cloak!" Morgan cried out.

Before Lucina could stop her, Morgan took off after both Cherche and Minerva.

"Morgan, wait - gods…"

Groaning, Lucina also started to run down the street.

 _ **. . .**_

It turned out that following Morgan was much easier said than done. The young girl would weave in and out of crowds like water. Lucina lost track of Morgan more than a few times, and it was only thanks to the young tactician's blue hair that Lucina was able to continue to trail her. But when she turned the first corner after leaving the marketplace, there was no tactician in sight.

Lucina's eyes darted around her, looking for any sign of either Morgan or Cherche. She then turned her eyes toward the skies, hoping to see Minerva, but could only see grey clouds gathering overhead.

"If you're looking for that blue haired lass, I saw her running out the town gates."

Lucina turned her head and saw a man leaning against a wall. Judging from his attire, he was most likely a mercenary. Light, leather armor was worn over his brown clothing and an eyepatch covered his right eye.

"My thanks." Lucina gave the mercenary a small nod in gratitude as she continued to run once more.

From there, it didn't take long for Lucina to catch up to both Morgan and Cherche as they were standing in an open clearing just a dozen meters from Valm Harbor's gates. Stopping a few steps behind them, Lucina noticed that the both of them had their attention turned towards the sky behind her. When Lucina turned around, she was greeted by the terrifying sight of a descending wyvern, talons extended. It was only then that Lucina realized how much more frightening Minerva was compared to the other wyverns that she faced during the Plegian War a couple years ago, and Lucina inadvertently froze.

Had Lucina not frozen up, she would have gotten nicked by Minerva's razor sharp claws as the wyvern landed behind the three as gracefully as a menacing dragonkin could land.

"Father!" Morgan ran up to Minerva, not caring about the low growl that emanated from Minerva's throat.

' _Father'?_ Lucina raised an eyebrow. Then she noticed that the 'something' that was dangling from Minerva's jaw was the lower half of someone's body. Putting two and two together, Lucina paled as she realized that it was Robin's lower body.

"Minerva, release him," Cherche sternly ordered. Another growl from the wyvern. "Delicious? Does he really smell delicious - no, never mind that. Our tactician is a friend, not food."

Minerva let out a small whine as she lowered her head. Unhinging her jaw, she let go of Robin who unceremoniously slid out from Minerva's mouth, covered in thick saliva, and missing his trademark cloak.

"Morgan, I must apologize for Minerva's actions," Cherche sighed. "Minerva is sorry as well. Isn't that right?"

Flinching under her master's intense gaze, Minerva lowered her head once more in Morgan's direction.

"It's fine, just as long as Father isn't hurt," Morgan simply said.

Crouching down next to Robin, Morgan picked up a twig that was by her feet and poked Robin's cheek in order to avoid touching Minerva's saliva.

"Urmrgrgr…" Robin groaned.

"Huh?" Morgan tilted her head in confusion.

"I do believe that your father is unconscious," Cherche informed. Lifting Robin's cloak in her arms, she frowned. "This is quite problematic. I would rather not drape Robin's coat over him when he is drenched. Wyvern saliva ruins clothing, after all."

"What does it do?" Lucina asked.

Cherche merely motioned over to Robin, whose shirt was now a completely different color. What was once a grey shirt was now a pale orange color.

"Oh."

Lucina turned her attention away from Robin and onto Morgan, who had a twinkle in her eyes. The young tactician raised her arms and a sea green colored wind started to flutter around in front of her open palms. Morgan then released her magic, hitting the still-unconscious Robin with a blast of magical wind, effectively blowing away Minerva's saliva.

"How efficient. I may request for your help for laundry one day," Cherche jokingly said.

"Sure! But first…" Morgan looked at Robin and poked him on the cheek once more in hopes of waking him up.

Not receiving a response, Morgan's cheeks puffed out in mild annoyance. She then raised her hand once more as magic swirled around her hands. That was the last thing that Lucina saw was a bright flash from Morgan's magic.

 _ **. . .**_

The first thing that Robin noticed was the stench. A second later, he felt an immense pain throughout his body. The third thing he noticed was that he was still alive, which was quite strange since he last remembered seeing the insides of a wyvern's maw. That would be a sight that he'd never forget.

Shaking his head in an attempt to clear the image in his head, Robin took a moment to take in his surroundings, and instantly figured out that he was back in his room. How he had gotten here, he had no idea, but who was he to complain for surviving a wyvern's chomp.

Painstakingly taking off his discolored shirt, he walked across his room and into the bathroom. Robin was now extremely grateful for the fact that the innkeeper was allowing the entire company of Shepherds stay at his inn. Just because of the personal bathroom per room, though. And what better time is there to wash yourself than when you have a nauseating odor around you?

 _There are very few feelings better than the feeling of washing yourself when you're covered in grime,_ Robin concluded for himself.

 _ **I don't know. The feeling of emptying out your bladder after holding it in for hours is also a very blissful feeling.**_

 _And flopping down onto your bed after a long day._

 _ **Agreed. And one of the worst feelings is the dread of the coming day that comes to haunt you during said flop.**_

Robin's brow twitched. _Ugh…don't get me started. I've had more than my share's worth of doing that many times over._

 _ **And you've many more to come, I'm sure. I'll leave you to enjoy your soak in peace.**_

 _ **. . .**_

Apparently, Robin needed the bath more than he thought. After washing his body, he merely settled himself in the warm water. The next thing he knew, the water was cold and he heard a thunderstorm through the walls of the inn. There definitely wasn't a thunderstorm when he first entered the bath.

Groaning, Robin got out of the bath, dried himself off, put on some clothes, and stepped out into his room. Creating a suspended fireball in the air to illuminate the dark room, Robin opened the blinds to the window to reveal a deluge of rain under the night sky. Sighing, Robin turned around and just as he resettled himself in his room, there was a knock at his door.

"Who is - "

The door was thrown open before Robin was even able to finish as Chrom strutted into his room.

"Robin, can I come in?"

"Already a little too late to ask that, don't you think?" Robin deadpanned.

"I knew you wouldn't say " _No"_ ", Chrom grinned.

"No."

Chrom gave Robin a blank look which the tactician returned in full. Then both men burst into laughter.

"What brings you here?" Robin asked.

"Am I not allowed to simply pay my friend a visit?"

"That all depends on what you're here for and what you brought as compensation."

Smiling wildly, Chrom pulled out a couple bottles of alcohol from nowhere. "Thought you might say that, so I brought this along. A gift from Khan Basilio, straight from his home country."

Robin inwardly grimaced, recalling how strong the mead from Ferox was from his experience. Nonetheless, he motioned over to the table in his room. Taking Robin's offer, Chrom sat down on one of the chairs as Robin sat down across from him.

"You know, your blind faith in me is going to get you killed one day," Robin said as he seated himself.

"How do you mean?"

"First, you found both Reina and I unconscious in a field, with no memory in my case," Robin started. "Then you place the both of us as your tacticians, despite the fact that our backgrounds were completely unknown to you at that point, and you still don't know much of our past for the most part."

"You proved yourself by helping us - "

"Clear out the bandits in Southtown?" Robin wryly laughed. "That could've been a ruse to gain your trust. Our coats are Plegian, after all."

Chrom chuckled and proceeded to uncork the bottle of mead.

"And then, to top it all off, you still decide to place your trust in me even after finding out that I'm Grima," Robin finished. Taking the offered bottle that Chrom was offering him, Robin took a sip. "I am your entire bloodline's enemy, public enemy number one, the reason why that sword you wear at your side was made, and yet you still trust me all the same. You're insane, you know that?"

"Are you honestly complaining about not being dead at the moment?"

"I'm complaining about our leader's foolish nature of randomly bringing people into his personal group, some of them having been an assassin and another having been recruited in the middle of a war," Robin corrected, pointing his finger at the prince.

"Heh, guilty as charged," Chrom laughed, taking a gulp of the Feroxi mead before his face contorted. "Gods, that burns!"

Robin couldn't help but grin at Chrom's facial expression.

"I take it that this is your first time with mead?" Robin asked.

"No, but this is my first time having one this strong," Chrom coughed. "How is it that you're okay with it?"

"Eh, it's not _that_ bad." Robin shrugged, taking another mouthful. "I've somehow always had a high tolerance for alcohol, which is strange because I don't ever remember liking alcohol. Maybe the Grima part of me is absorbing all the alcohol or something. Anyways, Basilio would often peg me as his drinking buddy thanks to my unusual tolerance, and Khan Flavia would join most of the time."

"Huh, never knew that about you," Chrom muttered. "In fact, I don't know much about you at all. Not even your age, for that matter."

"Chrom, don't you know that it's quite rude to blatantly ask for someone's age?" Robin smirked.

Chrom gave the tactician a blank look. "That rule tends to apply to women, which you clearly are not."

Without missing a beat, Robin changed the pitch of his voice into a falsetto and squealed in a monotone voice, all the while holding his hands on his cheeks to "hide his blush".

"Don't. EVER. Do. That. Again," Chrom gagged.

"If you must know, I'm twenty…one? Twenty two years old?"

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "You don't know your age?"

"Amnesia, remember?" Robin tapped the side of his head.

"Ah, right. I forgot about that." Chrom reached for the bottle of mead when his eyes suddenly shot open. "Wait, but then that means… How old were you when the me of your world found you in the field?! You couldn't have been any older than fifteen or sixteen!"

Robin paused as he quickly did the math in his head. The war with Plegia in his world took a few months, then there was the two year grace period before Valmese war which spanned for about a year. There was then a year and a half of peace once more after returning to Ylisse, then there was the second Plegian War with Validar, which lasted a few months before Validar was killed and Robin was brought to the world he was currently in. That totaled to roughly four and a half, maybe five years. Combine that with the time spent here and the total time between first waking up in his world and now would be just about seven years worth of time.

"Huh, you're right. If I did the match correctly, then I was around fourteen," Robin mused. "Damn, I've been fighting in wars for about seven years…"

"I'm giving you a vacation," Chrom said.

"Yeah, with all that free time that we definitely seem to have while fighting this war?" Robin retorted. Gesturing to the storm outside his window, Robin continued, "We got lucky to have a small break thanks to this turbulent weather, but the chances of us getting enough time to take a vacation is nigh impossible."

As Chrom's brow furrowed in thought, Robin took another swig of the Feroxi mead.

"Oh, but don't tell any of the Shepherds about my high tolerance," Robin suddenly said, raising the bottle.

"And why's that?" Chrom asked.

An devilish grin formed on Robin's face.

"So that I can drink the other guys under the table and win myself some easy bets," Robin grinned.

A sudden thud echoed throughout Robin's room as Chrom's forehead slammed onto the table in disbelief followed by Robin's laugh that was akin to Henry's cackles.

"You're unbelievable," Chrom groaned.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll give you some of the profit," Robin snickered.

"You do realize that that'd be my money that's simply coming back to me since I'm the one giving out the paychecks?"

Robin bit his lip. "Huh, that's true. I'd forgotten about that."

"When you do go and have a drinking contest with Vaike, would you mind telling me beforehand?" Chrom asked. "I'd like to get in on the bets."

"Oh? To think the Exalted Prince of Ylisse would take part in a drinking contest?" Robin smirked. "If word would get out, who knows what the public would think?"

Laughing, Chrom flicked the bottle's cork at Robin's forehead. "I could say the same to you. The master tactician of the Shepherds swindling his comrades of gold in a rigged contest? The impact that it would have on your reputation and renown could be quite disastrous."

"Nah, I doubt that'll happen. I can push the accusations onto Reina if anything. Also, why did you automatically assume that I'd have a drinking contest with Vaike? I never mentioned him."

"Robin, please." Chrom shook his head. "It's Vaike. I've known him ever since I was half my age."

"Mental age or physical age? Cause if it's your mental age, it wouldn't be very impressive."

Chrom frowned.

"I'm saying that you have a brain of newborn infant," Robin clarified.

"I know what you meant," Chrom muttered. "But, speaking of Vaike…"

There was a noticeable shift in the conversation's tone as Chrom leaned forward.

"I hope you didn't take both Vaike's and Sully's…aggravations from earlier to heart," Chrom said.

"No offense taken," Robin replied with a small wave of his hand. "Honestly, Chrom, your daughter tried to off me yesterday. Compared to that, Vaike and Sully's outbursts aren't much."

"Figured you'd say that. My thanks for what you did for Lucina, by the way." Chrom took another sip of the Feroxi wine. "You have one of the biggest hearts out of everyone I know, figuratively speaking."

"Coming from the guy that just recruits strangers into his merry band of misfits?" Robin raised an eyebrow. "I'm quite flattered."

"Let me also add that the size of your ego matches the size of your heart," Chrom deadpanned.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Chrom placed the second bottle of Feroxi mead onto the table.

"Now then, enough talk on moody subjects," Chrom said, opening up the second bottle. Robin's eyes glanced over at the first bottle which was still over half full. He even managed to eye a third, unopened bottle next to Chrom's feet.

"Let's not let Basilio's gifts go to waste, shall we?" Chrom grinned.

 _ **. . .**_

"And that's how your husband ended up in this situation."

Robin was standing outside Chrom and Cordelia room. He had just finished explaining the events that took place in the past hour to a not-so-pleased Cordelia while a barely conscious Chrom was leaning heavily on him for support, partially due to him being drunk and partially due to only one of his legs in working order.

"So, you kicked Chrom on the leg with enough force to numb his muscles?" Cordelia asked.

"In my defense, if it wasn't for Chrom trying to pour the mead onto my cloak to…what were his words? " _Give it some fiery flavor,"_? I wouldn't have had to knee him in the leg," Robin reasoned.

Cordelia shook her head before gesturing for Robin to enter the room. "Bring him inside."

"At least now you know how well, or rather, how terrible Chrom is with Feroxi alcohol," Robin said, walking into the married couple's room. Setting Chrom down sideways onto the bed, Robin started to leave when turned to Cordelia. "May I suggest keeping a glass of water by the bed? He's in for a nasty hangover when he wakes up."

"Will do." Cordelia nodded. "Get some rest, Robin."

"I'll do my best."

With that, Robin closed the door behind him and walked down the hall to his room. Upon entering, he was surprised to see someone sitting on his bed, tightly clutching onto her pillow under the dim lighting of his fire light from earlier.

"Morgan?" Robin slowly closed the door to his room. "What's wrong?"

Morgan lifted her head. Even under the small amount of light in the room, Robin was able to make out tears forming on the edges of his daughter's eyes.

"C-Can I…"

Morgan started to speak when the crack of thunder interrupted her, causing the young girl to flinch. Robin immediately understood why Morgan was here and what she was trying to ask. The poor girl was terrified of lightning.

"You can sleep here tonight," Robin softly said.

His daughter's face brightened before falling. "Are you sure?" Morgan asked. "I don't want to be a bother."

Sitting down on the bed, Robin gently ran his hand through Morgan's hair.

"Morgan, you'd never be a bother," Robin coaxed.

"Thanks, Father," Morgan sniffed.

Once Robin laid down on the bed, Morgan followed a second later. Now using her pillow for what it was meant to be used for, Morgan was now gripping Robin's shirt with enough force that he felt the fabric stretch a little. He held no doubt that there'd be terrible wrinkles on his shirt come tomorrow morning, but Robin decided that if it would give his daughter even the smallest of comforts through the thunderstorm, it'd be worth it.

Soon, Morgan's sharp intakes of breaths stopped and her breathing calmed to a steady pace as she fell asleep.

It was strange. Morgan was terrified of thunder to the point where she wasn't able to fall asleep, yet Robin couldn't be any more different. He found low rumble and the occasional crack of thunder to be oddly soothing, and hearing the flurry of rain platter against the window was calming to him.

With his eyelids drooping, Robin whispered a few last words to his daughter before falling asleep himself.

"Sleep well, Morgan."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 **Chapter 27, complete! I say 27th because I'm not counting the April Fool's Chapter. That has nothing to do with AA's storyline. This chapter mainly served to set up a few upcoming events, which is why there really isn't much going on here.**

* * *

 **Uhh, things about this chapter.**

 **I went through a bunch of drafts for the beginning part of the chapter where Robin and Reina break the ice to the rest of the Shepherds. I had three different drafts roughly written out, one being a scenario where all the Shepherds simply accept Robin and Reina as Grima wholeheartedly with no hard feelings, one with the majority of the Shepherds losing their trust in Robin/Reina, and the third being the one that you just read.**

 **The Minerva-nearly-eating-Robin-only-to-be-stopped-last-second was an idea that popped into my head from one of Cherche's endgame lines:** _"_ _Minerva says...that he/she smells delicious, but that's neither here nor there..._ "  
 **I just really like that quote...for some peculiar reason. Anyways, Cherche was my MU's spouse in my first finish of the game, so I thought I'd give a small token of appreciation...to myself...wow, that just makes me sound like pretentious prick...**

 **A bit of Robin/Cherche, though that's not gonna happen. At least, not in this story. Maybe I'll do a oneshot or series of oneshots (would that be called manyshots?) of Robin/Cherche sometime later on.**

 **A blatant reference to Fates and smaller references** **to a few of my favorite characters from a couple of the previous games. I didn't mention the names for two of them, but their descriptions should have been enough for those of you that played their games.**

 **As for Sain, he's definitely one of my favorite characters in the series.**

 **Another shameless reference to my other story, _"A Myriad of Worlds"_ , which I do plan on continuing. Chapter 3 for that will most likely be my next upload, for those of you that are waiting for it. It's just that I've limited time on my hands, and with the time that I do have to spare, I tend to use it on this story since it's my main story as of now.**

 **And some bonding time between Robin and Chrom over a bottle(s) of alcohol.**

 **Oh, and that final scene with Morgan and Robin is not incest. It's a paternal relationship, and nothing more.**

 **And that's pretty much it on the chapter!**

* * *

 **Apologies once again for the month long wait. After finishing up the previous chapter, I ended up with writer's block. Well, it was more along the lines of me running face first against a towering barricade of a wall. Every single time that I opened up Google Docs to continue writing this chapter, I'd end up just sitting there and staring at the document for hours on end. By the end of it all, I'd have put in a few lines, maybe a page, only to come back the next day to see the mess of a forced writing that I did. Then that would get scrapped and the process would repeat itself over the course of a month. You are literally staring at my month's worth of effort here.**

 **But, not all's bad. While I was struggling to write this chapter, I stumbled upon a few other fics that I found to be very enjoyable, and even came up with a few, new story ideas, mainly stemming from a bunch of "What if" scenarios in my head. The ideas being:**

 **\- What if the previous Exalt (Chrom's father) waged the war against Plegia because he was told that the Fell Dragon's avatar (Robin) was born? What if the war was an attempt to end Grima before he became a threat in the short future?  
\- What if Robin didn't side with the Shepherds in the Ylisse-Plegia war? What if he took on the mantle of being Plegia's tactician and fought against Chrom?  
\- What if I made a self-insert story?**

 **Yeah...if I were to get all of my current ideas and just start writing each one, I'd end up with six stories on my hands at once. One being AA, the second being Myriad, the three mentioned above, and the last one that I have planned as the sequel to AA that was very briefly teased at back in the April Fool's chapter.**

* * *

 **Review/Comment Reply Section:**

 **\- Artyom-Dreizehn: Nope! Not plasma or anything of the sort. Though, that would be pretty cool.**

 **\- Matt Cyr: Yeah, Grima!Robin's character/personality was me thinking, "How would Robin be if he was a bad guy?" And boom, AA's Grima!Robin was born. I feel like that's how Robin would actually be if he was evil; able to go from a nonchalant attitude to I'm-the-Fell-Dragon-that-can-annihilate-your-entire-world-if-I-felt-like-it personality at the flip of a switch.**

 **\- L2X: Well, to be fair, Robin never really "died" in his world. He simply slipped between the lines of reality and ended up plopping into this one. I apologize if I wasn't able to portray that part well enough back in Ch3 and 5.**

 **\- Memento Mori: Yeahhhh...I've noticed that too. Doesn't help at all when you have terrible luck in general that stacks onto those uneven odds.**

 **\- PrinceDoebler: Shhhh. Let me have that moment, though I guess now would be the right time for celebration :D And it looks as if I purposefully waited a month for a new upload just out of spite, doesn't it? xD I swear that's not the case. || And in my opinion, the scene with f!Robin being Lucina's mother is a well done scene. Better than the other two, at least.**

 **\- Antex: Many thanks. I'm glad that I was able to get that chapter down in a satisfactory manner.**

 **\- Black Hole Solrock || Lord Azrael1 || marcelo pballon || Thanks for the kind words! :)**

 **\- N-Lorin: Thank you once again for finding that error. I've got to stop editing last minute before uploading a new chapter...**

 **\- prototype gear: I see where you're coming from. And while yes, it can be seen as creepy, maybe even disgusting to some, it can be quite a normal pairing if you take Chrom out of the picture, though it's kind of difficult to do since Chrom's an essential character to FE:A. While it personally isn't my favorite pairing (as mentioned in one of my previous A.N's), it sure as hell is one of the easiest to write out.  
And yes, it was originally a student-mentor relationship at the start with young!Lucina and Robin, the time that the adult!Lucina and Robin spent together in _Another Awakening_ _'s_ world has changed their relationship to close friends rather than student-mentor. There is a reason why I'm taking this relationship very, VERY slowly. _Another Awakening_ is around it's halfway mark (story-wise, not chapter-wise. I think), and they have yet to even confess to each other. Hell, Lucina hasn't even fully figured out her feelings for Robin despite obvious tells from others. There's only been hints at their relationship, albeit being rather blunt and obvious.  
While I cannot know whether or not you'll read this, I must thank you for voicing your thoughts in a calm demeanor, rather than just screaming (figuratively) of your dislike for the Robin/Lucina pairing.**

 **\- Ghost Artemis: I'm not sure why you're so intent on having Robin and Lucina the same age. From my perspective, one or two years difference isn't that big of a deal in relationships. As of now, all the Gen 1 Shepherds are in their very early twenties (21-23), with Frederick being just a couple of years older (23-24), while all the Gen 2 Shepherds are just under twenty (18-19), with the exception of Lucina and Cynthia, both having just hit twenty. I did have Lucina and Cynthia in this world be born in the same year, so...yeah. While it does deviate from what would be referred to as "canon", FanFics are there to break that mold, are they not?**

* * *

 **And that's it for now! Sorry once again for the month long wait, and I'll see you in the next!  
** **Hopefully the next chapter will be out before the month is over :P**


	29. (XXVIII) The Tunnels Below

Robin bolted up from his bed. He could've sworn he heard someone scream in pain. He stayed still, listening in case there was another scream. Seconds passed in the darkness of the night until Robin decided that he was imagining things.

Laying back down onto his bed, Robin went back to sleep.

 _ **. . .**_

Robin woke up a second time a few hours later. Sunlight seeped into his room, indicating that, one, it was morning, and two, the storm had stopped. Robin made an attempt to push himself up but his right arm failed to obey him. In fact, he couldn't feel his right arm at all.

In a panic, he quickly glanced down at his arm, fearing that he somehow lost a limb during his sleep. His fear was quickly replaced with relief when he saw that his arm with still attached. His relief was then replaced with confusion when he saw Morgan tightly holding onto said arm.

 _Oh, so that's why I can't feel it. She's cutting off the blood flow._

Carefully, in order to not wake his daughter, Robin managed to free himself of Morgan's grip. Morgan immediately noticed that her squish pillow was gone, and blindly waved her arms around until she somehow grabbed hold of Robin's waist. Before Robin could pry her off her hands, Morgan's grip tightened, forcing a bit of air out of Robin.

 _Damn it, Morgan. If you weren't my daughter, I'd have thrown your arms off already._

Sighing, Robin turned around and lightly poked Morgan's forehead in an attempt to wake her up.

"Mmmmm…"

Another poke.

"No…don't run…"

For a second, Robin was worried that she was having a nightmare. His worry was dispelled with Morgan's next sleep-induced line.

"Fluff…marshmallows…no running from me…eh heh heh…"

Robin facepalmed. Leave it to his daughter to have erratic and nonsensical dreams. Then again, that's what dreams are supposed to be.

Though he wanted nothing more than to let his daughter sleep, Robin had to get out of bed.

"Mooorgan," Robin softly called out. Receiving no reply, he raised his voice ever so slightly. "Moooorgan."

The only reaction that Robin got was an incoherent mumble of roasting marshmallows along with chocolate. Robin had no idea what she was talking about, but he was sure that Gaius would have loved to hear that.

Sighing, Robin tried to remove himself from Morgan's hold, only for her to exert more pressure. Groaning, and not wanting to hurt Morgan, he slowly started to stand. During his small lean forward before rising, Morgan somehow managed to snake her arms around his shoulders and neck, and continued to hold herself there even after Robin fully risen to his feet.

 _ **. . .**_

And this is how and why Robin arrived at the inn's main room, with a still-sleeping Morgan a piggyback ride, where he was to meet Reina, Chrom, Virion, the Khans, and Princess Say'ri for a meeting. He was given many curious looks and raised brows along the way, but he ignored all of them.

"Scouts report that Walhart's troops are pulling back to more defensive lines," Flavia said.

"I thought Walhart would be the type of man to throw everything he has at us," Basilio muttered. "Seems like that type."

"He is," Robin said, staring at the map laid out in front of him. "He's concentrating the bulk of his army into one single force before splitting them off across his territory. That way, he'd be able to stomp is out in a single sweep. We're going to need a better foothold in Valm instead of a port town."

"May I suggest the lands of Rosanne, Lord Tactician?"

Robin looked over at Virion. "One, don't call me that. Two, Rosanne?"

Virion grinned, well aware of Robin's dislike for titles.

"Well, along with my personal desire to reclaim my home, Rosanne itself can be of a bountiful asset to whomever owns the territory," Virion said. "Its lands are lush and fertile, walls heavily fortified, and the seasons do not change the harvest in the slightest! No doubt, the resources will be invaluable to our army were we to take it."

"And those are the key words, aren't they?" Robin sighed. "The line, _'_ … _were we to take it,'_ doesn't exactly bode well for us. Everything that you just mentioned is most definitely an asset…to Walhart's forces. Taking Rosanne will cost us dearly if things go wrong, and the chances of that happening are pretty high."

"That does seem to be the case, doesn't it?" Virion smirked.

"You don't seem to be disturbed over this fact," Chrom noted, frowning. "This is your home, Virion, and we've no way of reclaiming it without losses."

"Milord, do not understand," Virion said. "I am no fool; a head-on attack would cripple our forces."

"Then why even mention the notion of taking Rosanne, duke?" Flavia glared. "Surely it wasn't just for your own benefit of liberating your home."

"My dear Khan Flavia, you wound me. My wishes are not so self-centered that I would risk the lives of my friends."

"Your actions last night at town speaks otherwise," Basilio muttered under his breath. "Stahl and Ricken…the poor lads… I don't think I've ever seen a woman get so pissed ever since some bloke destroyed Ferox's wine cellar. Flavia without her alcohol is not a sight you want to see."

"Ahem." Virion cleared his throat. Ignoring the grunt of pain from Basilio as Flavia punched him in the gut, the duke continued, "As I was saying, I would not risk the lives my friends. Rosanne's castle may be heavily fortified, yes, but there are hidden passageways into the center of the castle. Said passageways are known only by the duke, and is only to share such information when instating an heir, an heir I do not have. While quite some time has passed since the time of the coup that banished me til now, I have no doubt that my information is viable."

"Virion, this kind of information is the kind that you say from the start in order to avoid any misunderstandings," Reina groaned.

"Aye, the tactician speaks true," Say'ri agreed.

"But where would the tension be?" Virion huffed. "The build-up? The climax?"

"The climax would be the fight with Walhart, Virion," Robin answered.

"Twas a rhetorical question," Virion dejectedly said.

Robin was about to give a witty reply when Cordelia's presence entered his mind.

 _'I've a bit of troubling news. Bandits are attacking a shrine a little ways northwest of here.'_

Cordelia must have been speaking to all of the communications ring owners as both Reina and Chrom visibly stiffened.

 _'What?!'_

Which was immediately followed up with the ring owners wincing from the sudden voice.

 _'Ow_ , _Lucina, not so loud. You're speaking right into our minds, so loud voices tend to give everyone on the receiving end a headache.'_

 _'A-Apologies_ , _Father."_

"Lord Chrom, is something ailing you?" Say'ri asked, noticing the unusual silence in the room.

"Bandits, up north, shrine," Chrom simply answered.

"What?!" Say'ri shot to her feet, earning a few raised eyebrows from the others in the room. "Those fiends dare attack the Shrine of Mila?! Have they no shame!"

As Chrom tried to calm the enraged princess, Robin turned his attention back to the mental conversation that was going on in his head.

 _'_ _Another group was_ _spotted there as well,'_ Cordelia informed. _'_ _They managed to fight off the first group of bandits, saving a group of survivors, but they have wounded, and the bandits won't stop with just one attempt. They'll be back.'_

 _'That's just fantastic,'_ Robin drawled.

 _'Robin_ , _how is this fantastic? Innocents are being attacked by bandits!'_

 _'That was sarcasm, dear,'_ Cordelia laughed.

 _'O-Oh…_ '

 _'Lucina, you're adorable.'_

 _'R-Reina! Don't say such things!'_

 _'Ah, woops. Meant to keep that one to myself. Guess I need to work on keeping my thoughts out of the Comms, huh?'_

Despite Reina's _'words'_ , her facial expression clearly said otherwise. Robin knew that she fully meant for everyone to hear it.

 _'Besides, it's not like Rei's wrong. Lucina_ is _cute, right Robin?'_

 _ **Cordelia definitely did that one on purpose. Putting you on the spot, that is.**_

 _'She is.'_ Robin answered Cordelia without missing a beat.

 _'I come back to the conversation to hear_ this _?! I was only gone for a minute or so!'_

 _'Oh hey, Chrom!'_ Reina chirped.

 _'A lot can happen in a minute, dear. Like how you woke up in the dead of night screaming from your hangover?'_ Cordelia sternly said.

Robin vaguely remembered waking up in the middle of the night. He thought he imagined the screaming, but he now knew that it was Chrom's scream.

 _'Have you ever tried Feroxi mead?! That will ruin your - '_

 _'I don't want your excuses. Just don't do it again.'_

 _'Besides, would you rather have me lie and say your daughter isn't a delight?'_ Robin smirked.

 _'W-Well, no…but…'_ Chrom sputtered.

 _'Lucina.'_

 _'Y-Yes?'_

 _'You are a lovely woman.'_

 _'Wha - !'_

Lucina's presence abruptly vanished. Even so, Robin could practically feel Lucina's blush across the mental connection.

 _'Robin…please don't tease my daughter…'_ Chrom sighed.

 _'What? It's not like - '_

 _'If I may, those bandits still need taking care of,'_ Frederick cut in.

 _'Ever the killjoy…'_ Robin sighed.

 _'We split into two teams.'_ Reina's brows were furrowed slightly as her brain created dozens of hypothetical scenarios in her head. _'One will be the main bulk of the army while the other is just a few members of the Shepherds to fight off the bandits. The first team will have a sub-team for infiltrating Castle Rosanne, along with Virion, to open up the gates into the castle grounds. That or kill whoever it is that's in charge and demand the surrender of Rosanne's forces.'_

 _'Alright, so who will be in the team that goes to the temple?'_ Chrom asked.

 _'Well, Robin and I will have be in separate groups in order to keep an eye on things and make any revisions that may or may not be needed, so that's one thing. As for who's going where…?'_

 _'We can think of that as we mobilize the army.'_ Robin ran his fingers through his hair.

"This meeting is adjourned," Chrom said to Say'ri, Virion, and the Khans. "As for now, prep your armies for marching. We leave within an hour."

"Yes, milord!"

Everyone aside from the tacticians left the inn, leaving Robin and Reina alone to ponder a little longer on the information.

"Mila Temple…narrow…not much room…"

Having momentarily forgotten that Morgan was still on his back, Robin jumped a bit from hearing Morgan's mutterings right next to his ear.

"Heh, that helps out a bit," Reina grinned. "We'll need to pick out members who can fight in close quarters easily."

"So, that's me leading the Mila Temple group," Robin said. "Your twinblade doesn't really have the shortest reach."

"But I get Gaius. His expertise will be needed to infiltrate the castle."

"You're going to need a healer to come along with you."

Robin and Reina both jumped at the once again unexpected voice, Robin jumping a little higher than Reina. From Robin's shoulder, Morgan's mouth was stretched wide as she yawned.

"Very well, Morgan," Robin grinned. "Who would you suggest as the healer to bring in our group?"

"Maribelle izzuh definite 'No' cause of her horsh," Morgan lazily said, blinking away her drowsiness. She continued to yawn, causing her speech to slur. "Chrom isn't going to let Lisha out of his sight, so she can't go, which leaves Libra as the last choice. And since he's a worshiper of Naga, he'll be ecstatic to join us to visit the Shrine."

"I couldn't have said it myself," Robin praised, and Morgan beamed in delight. "That makes three in the group for Mila Shrine; you, Libra, and me. I'd like to bring at least one or two more. Got anyone in mind?"

"Umm…" Morgan's brow furrowed as she quietly muttered her thoughts. "Libra is our healer, can't have him up front…Father and I cover our ranged attacks, but we can also fight up close with swords and martial arts…going to need another CQC fighter…Vaike? No…he can't be subtle even if his life depends on it…he'll also be needed at the castle to boost morale with his personality… Narrow means fast, precise hits…"

Robin couldn't help it when his chest swelled with pride. The amount of thought and care that Morgan was putting in was on par with his, and she still had a seemingly endless amount of potential that she had yet to reach.

"I got it!" Morgan shot up, nearly throwing herself off of Robin's back. "We can bring Lucina and Severa! That way, the two of them can fight up close while we cast magic from afar!"

Robin mulled it over for a second.

"Good luck getting Chrom's permission to let his daughters go on a separate skirmish from him," Robin finally said.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"I still can't believe how easy it was for you to convince his daughters to go on a separate skirmish from him…"

A few hours had passed since Robin and Morgan left the inn with Lucina, Severa, and Libra. The group had taken a few horses for the trip, allowing them to reach the Mila Shrine in only a couple days rather than a week's worth of traveling.

"Well, some faces you just can't say 'No' to," Morgan grinned.

"Pfft, whatever you say, little one," Robin laughed, earning him a pout from Morgan.

"Robin." A calming voice called out from the front. "We're nearing the Shrine."

Robin nodded. "Thank you, Libra."

"No thanks needed," Libra replied. "May I request that we proceed on foot from here on out?"

"Of course," Robin said. He then looked behind him and at Lucina and Severa. "We're walking the rest of the way, you two!"

"Seriously?" Severa grumbled. "Why can't we go on horseback the rest of the way?"

"It is terrible manners to walk on sacred ground on anything other than your own two feet," Libra explained. "This is one of the first teachings of Naga."

"What good was Naga in our doomed world?" Severa muttered under her breath.

"Severa!" Lucina scolded her. "Lady Naga gave us another chance to save our world! That's more than we could have ever hoped for!"

"Yeah yeah." Severa dismissively waved her off as she jumped off her horse. "Whatever you say."

Lucina slid off her horse and took a step to stop Severa when she was pulled back by Robin.

"Let her be."

"But - "

Robin shook his head. "While I could never understand what it's like to have come from your world, I do understand when people need some time to spend by themselves. Like now, for instance. Though…" Robin looked back over at Severa's retreating figure just in time to see her get toppled over by a laughing Morgan. "I don't think she'll be getting that alone time."

Lucina watched as Severa desperately tried to free herself of Morgan's clutches only to fail. After letting out a defeated sigh, Severa reluctantly settled on merely glaring at the younger girl.

"Smart."

Lucina looked over to see Robin nodding in understanding. A small blush formed on her face when she recalled the mental conversation from earlier.

 _He called me 'lovely',_ Lucina thought to herself.

"There's no fighting Morgan when she's energetic," Robin said, not noticing Lucina's blush. "Or when she suddenly grabs you and literally stays on your back for over an hour."

"Is that why you were carrying her on your back earlier this morning?" Libra asked, a small smile on his soft face.

"Yup. She somehow managed to climb on _while_ she was asleep. I didn't even think that was possible!"

"Lady Naga blesses us with miracles from time to time," Libra said.

"I wouldn't call her managing that a 'miracle', Libra," Robin muttered.

"Of course," Libra gently laughed.

The three followed Morgan and Severa, and as he neared the small shrine, Robin noticed that the shrine was modest, only being a small, dome shaped building made of a sea green marble stone. The entrance was an open courtyard with a large circular mosaic depicting a green dragon in the center, and at the end of the courtyard was a door leading into an inner room. Their footsteps made hollow echoes as they walked across marble flooring.

"It's…quiet…" Lucina muttered.

"Way to say the obvious," Severa scoffed.

"And it shouldn't be quiet," Robin said, walking towards the inner room. "Where are the survivors?" The inner room contained nothing more than a few dusty crates and a few splotches of dried blood on the walls and floor, but no bodies.

Just as Robin was about to turn back, a thunderous crack split the air, and a portion of the back wall suddenly broke down. Dust was thrown everywhere, and each one of the Shepherds immediately drew their weapons. Robin put up a hand, signaling the others to stay in the courtyard as Robin entered the room with caution.

"Woohoo! We're finally free!"

A young girl's voice cheered from behind the plume of dust, and as it settled, two figures strode into view. The first was a woman in a teal, one piece garb with a navy blue overcoat. Her hood was pulled low to effectively hide her face, and two regal blades were attached to either side of her waist with a red sash.

The second was a young girl who looked a little younger than Morgan. She was wearing a long sleeved, grey shirt with a sleeveless black blouse worn over the shirt. Black stockings were worn under a black skirt. To top it all off, she had a red cloak was wrapped around her neck in a scarf-like fashion. She had her hood up as well, but unlike the first woman, it wasn't pulled so low.

What stuck out to Robin the most, however, was her eyes. Not once has he seen someone with such striking, silver colored eyes.

"Oh hey!" The red cloaked girl's eyes lit up as she ran up to Robin. "Nice to meet you! Who are you? Why are you here?"

Robin was momentarily stunned by the girl's rapid questions. During that brief second, Morgan let out a squeal of delight.

"Your hair!"

Morgan was instantly in front of the red hooded girl, staring intensely at the few strands of visible hair, and Robin could understand his daughter's enthusiasm. The girl's hair was a such a dark colored red that it was almost black. Were it not for the sunlight pouring in through the windows in the room to highlight the ends of her hair, Robin would not have known that it even noticed it.

Gathering himself, Robin grabbed the hood of Morgan's cloak and pulled her back as the girl's companion did the same. But even as they were dangling off the ground, the two girls continued to speak to each other.

"I'm Morgan! And we're the Shepherds! Though, we don't actually tend to lambs."

"You can call me Rose! I'm a Huntress!"

"Huntress? That sounds so cool and fun!"

Robin quickly gave up on quelling Morgan. Setting her down, he looked up at Rose's companion as Rose and Morgan rushed out of the room and into the courtyard, and judging from the alarmed scream, startled Lucina and Severa.

"My apologies," Robin said as he and the woman walked out. "We caught wind of this shrine being under threat from a few bandits, and have come to investigate."

The woman nodded. "As have we."

"Perfect!" Robin smiled. "Then may I ask that we work together?"

The woman nodded once more.

"My name is Robin." He extended his hand in a greeting. "May I get yours?"

The woman momentarily stared at Robin's hand before grasping it. "You may call me…Neun."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Neun."

Robin made a quick attempt to get a read on Neun's expression when she turned away, almost as if she was avoiding his gaze. She briskly walked away, leaving behind a mildly confused Robin.

"You look like Inigo after he got turned down."

Robin turned to see Severa standing beside him with her arms crossed.

"What?"

"What do you mean, ' _what'_?" Severa scoffed. "You're ogling at her!"

"Am I?" Robin frowned.

"Yeah, you are."

"I assure you that was not my intent," Robin said. "I was merely - "

Robin paused when a low rumbling shook the room. Everyone threw confused looks at one another, hoping to gain an answer. Their answer came in the form of the dragon mosaic in the center of the courtyard. The emerald dragon in the center hummed to life, twisting its body in order to circle the outer rim of the mosaic. The maw of the emerald dragon opened to bite its own tail, and once it did, the entire mosaic rose slightly off of the ground to reveal a stairwell that spiraled downwards underground.

"What…what just happened…" Robin muttered.

"That happened," Severa snarked.

"I'm asking 'How', Severa," Robin sighed, and Severa replied by shrugging her shoulders.

"I…" Lucina started, only to trail off once eyes landed on her. Taking a deep breath, she found her voice and she continued. "I'm not entirely sure, but I may have triggered it. I walked over and placed my hand on the mosaic when it suddenly started to glow. I don't know how or why, either."

"Maybe it has to do you with you being a member of the Exalted family?" Morgan guessed. "You know, Naga's blood and all?"

"Who knows?" Robin peered down the stairwell. "Either way, we found our way down. Only problem is that if there's anyone down there, they'll know we're coming. That opening wasn't exactly subtle."

"Agreed." Neun nodded and turned to Robin. "Rose and I will go first, is that okay with you?"

"By all means." Robin gestured to the stairwell, and the two descended the spiral.

"Ooh ooh! I call next!"

Morgan jumped in the air and then disappeared down the stairwell behind Rose and Neun. The Shepherds began to follow Morgan when Robin was pulled aside by Severa. Once she was sure that the others were out of earshot, she released his shoulder.

"Are you sure we can trust them?" Severa asked.

Robin was silent for a few seconds before answering. "…To be completely honest, no."

Severa gave Robin her, _'Are-you-kidding-me,'_ look.

"But, I get the feeling that they aren't our enemies, nor will they turn out to be," Robin added.

"Let me guess." Severa crossed her arms. "Because it's ' _a gut feeling'_?"

Robin smiled. "You know me well, Severa."

Lightly laughing, Robin jumped down the stairs as Severa rolled her eyes.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"Kinda cramped in here…"

"It's a secret passage for the means of escape, Gaius, not a royal hall."

"Why, thank you, Snowflake. I would've never figured that out by myself despite the fact that it's only been explained half a dozen times during the debrief not even ten minutes ago."

Reina shot Gaius a glare. Behind her, Reina could hear the stifled laughter Lissa, Chrom, and Owain. It wasn't difficult as the narrow corridor caused even the softest of sounds to echo through the torchlit hall.

"...Chrom?" Reina called out behind her.

"No." Was the immediate reply.

"What the - I didn't even say anything!"

"You didn't have to. I already know what you were going to say. Rather, what you were going to ask."

Reina grumbled a few colorful words under her breath as Gaius flashed Chrom a toothy grin.

"Saved my hide, Blue."

"You can thank me by not provoking the ice queen. We all know how - "

Chrom immediately realized the error in his words when his breath fogged up and the temperature dropped.

"What was that, dear prince?" Reina sweetly smiled.

"N-Nothing…" Chrom stammered.

"L-Lovely Reina, m-might I ask th-that you restore the t-temperature?" Virion asked through chattering teeth. "I-I'm afraid you are ext-extinguishing the l-light."

Reina looked forward. The chill she emanated caused a few of the torches to flicker, struggling to stay alive. "So I am…"

Breathing deeply, Reina started to regulate the temperature around her.

"It's like polar opposites, her personality and looks. Cold and hot," Gaius muttered.

Then the lights went out.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"Gods be damned, how far down does this go?"

"Robin, please mind your words. You are in the shrine of one of those very gods."

"If I curled up into a ball, do you think I'll be able to just roll all the way down?"

"Morgan, don't even try it."

"Too late!"

"Morgan! Gods damn it!"

Lucina and Robin quickly threw out their hand to grab onto Morgan, but were too late as the she slipped through their grasps. Fortunately, Severa and Libra were there to catch the girl before she snowballed into them, sparing the three from a painful roll down the stairs.

"You're no fun…" Morgan pouted.

"We just don't want broken necks," Robin replied, poking Morgan on the forehead. Morgan responded by sticking her tongue out at Robin.

"Even had she rolled, I do not think we would have suffered too badly. We've arrived," Libra announced.

"Finally!" Robin cheered.

Robin took a moment to roll his stiff shoulders as he walked down the last few steps. Multiple pops and cracks bounced off the walls for the next few seconds along with a blissful sigh.

"That's disgusting," Severa complained.

"No, it's the sounds of my joints - "

"Whatever!" Severa huffed, causing Robin to grin.

Somewhere along the descent, the Shepherds passed Rose and Neun, which was strange. The spiraling staircase could barely fit two people side by side, yet a party of five was able to pass another party somehow. Morgan was suspected to have played a hand in the shifting of members with her boundless energy, but he couldn't remember the trip down for the life of him.

As Lucina's feet finally touched down on a surface that wasn't stairs, she noticed that the hallway in front of them was dimly lit by only a few torches. At the far end of the hall was an elaborate set of double doors also made of the same green marble as nearly everything else in the shrine.

"A door!" Robin and Morgan both exclaimed.

Both father and daughter ran forward in tandem at the doors, leaving the others behind.

"They're both children," Severa muttered.

"One's body can only be young once, Severa," Libra smiled. "But the mind can be young forever."

"Saint Libra, you seem to have an analogy for every situation," Lucina noted.

"Like an old man," Severa playfully smirked.

"Come now, I am not much older than you," Libra laughed.

Before anyone else could say a word, the ground started to shake as Robin started to push the doors open.

"G-Guh! Why…is this thing…so damn…heavy?!" Robin gasped.

Slowly, but ever so surely, a small crack split down the very center of the doors. White light seeped through the crack, illuminating the dim hallway bit by bit. Then a splash of orange was added to the white, its warm glow flashing momentarily before fading.

 _Wait, orange?_ Lucina blinked, confused as to how or why that color randomly appeared when she saw Robin crumple to the floor.

"Robin!" "Father!"

Morgan and Lucina both ran forward to check on Robin. The door was only open wide enough for a single person to enter at a time, and Robin was lying face down in the middle of it. She and Morgan quickly pulled Robin away from the open door, and away from any imminent danger.

"Ha, take that!" A gruff voice yelled from through the doors. "Stay back, the rest of ya! Else I'll burn you all to a crisp!"

The voice sounded familiar to Lucina, but she discarded the thought as she wheeled around in anger. Drawing Falchion, she began to enter the room but Severa beat her to it. The redhead stormed through the open door, ignoring the cries of alarm from the others.

"Tch, I warned ya!" The gruff voice bellowed again. "Don't blame me if…what the - Severa?! Why's your hair - wait, what are you - wait wait wait STOP - GYAAAHHH!"

"Brady, you dumbass!" Severa's voice was the one of two things that was heard. The second was the sound of fists colliding with a person, most likely Severa doing the punching. "You just blasted Robin the face with a fireball!"

"Who the blazes is Rob- OW!" Brady yelped in pain.

"Brady?" Lucina gasped, quickly standing.

"Gah! Stop hittin' me, ya crazy - GAAAH!"

"Did you just…" The volume of Severa's voice dropped dangerously low. "Brady, if you value that thing dangling between your legs, you better convince me that I heard wrong in the next ten seconds, or so help me, I will - "

"Severa, do mind the tone of your voice." Another voice said, this one also familiar to Lucina. "You are alarming the others present."

Lucina finally made her way into the room and was greeted by a sight that nearly brought tears to her eyes.

Huddled in the back of the room was the group of survivors. Lucina counted a small family of farmers, a merchant with scarlet hair, and a short haired priestess. But the survivors weren't what caught Lucina's attention; rather, it was a spectacled man in the center of the room overlooking the red haired princess mercilessly beating a dark robed priest on the ground.

Laurent, the mage with maroon colored hair and extremely wide-brimmed hat, eas standing by Severa, who happened to be glaring daggers down at a fallen priest, Brady. Lucina smiled when she saw that Brady hadn't changed a bit in the last few years; a thug-faced priest with the biggest heart she's ever seen. The scar he received from a snapped violin was still over his left eye, not having faded in the slightest, and added to his gruff look.

"Severa? SEVERA!" A girl that looked to be even younger than Rose was a blur, practically running over the already-incapacitated Brady, was upon the princess in a second, tackling her in a hug.

"N-Nah!"

Shocked and surprised, Severa looked down at the young girl, Nah, in her arms. Lime green hair flowed down the sides of her head in twin braids, contrasting well with her red cloak that was worn over a white blouse.

"I didn't think I'd see you again!" Nah cried through watery eyes. "It's been so long! Everyone's been scattered, and I just met up with Brady and Laurent a few days ago, and and - "

"Nah, it's alright." Lucina decided that it was time for her to step in, walking forward. "Take a few deep breaths and - oof!"

"Lucy!"

A grunt of pain escaped Lucina as she too experienced the same tackle hug as her sister.

"Did I hear Lucina?" Brady groaned, sitting up. His eyes widened to the size of saucers when his gaze fixated itself on Lucina. "No way…you're shittin' me…"

"Unless our eyes are deceiving us, that is indeed Lucina, Brady," Laurent said, adjusting his spectacles.

"It's her! I know it's her!" Nah looked up into Lucina's eyes. "I know her smell! Right, Lucy?"

Lucina was about to answer when both Rose and Morgan let out a squeal of delight. A second later, Nah was no longer in front of Lucina. Instead, Nah found herself to be weightless with her arms in a tight hold.

"Wha?" Nah was only able to utter a single sound of confusion before she hit the ground alongside two others, Morgan and Rose. A sense of dread filled Nah before her two aggressors grabbed her ears.

"NOOOO!"

Nah shrieked and reached inside her breast pocket, pulling out a pale blue crystal. A moment later, a brilliant light enveloped the small girl. A wave of pure energy erupted from Nah, tossing Rose and Morgan off of her, and a blinding flash filled the room.

Once the light faded, a floral red dragon could be seen in the spot where Nah once was.

"By the gods!" Libra's voice thick with emotion and reverence. He was in the middle of bringing Robin into the inner room, but the sight of another manakete caused him to drop the limp tactician onto the floor.

The manakete flapped its wings once, throwing itself backwards through the air. Landing behind the still-incapacitated Brady, the dragon's body started to glow once more before its form shrank back down to a young girl.

"Woah…" Rose let out a gasp. "A dragon…?"

"A manakete, Rose," Neun corrected.

Despite the news of there being only one remaining manakete, Neun didn't seem too fazed to see the existence of another dragonkin, a young one at that. Most would be in awe at the sight of one such, yet the look that Neun was giving Nah was one of disdain; a look that was the complete opposite of what one would expect. Were it not for Rose giving her a nudge that went unnoticed by the others, she would have drawn her sword right then.

From the back of the room, the civilians were looking at Nah with wonder. Whispers could be heard as they murmured amongst themselves.

"A Holy Dragon!"

"Could it be the Voice of Lady Naga?"

"No, Lady Tiki is much older! I've seen her in person!"

"It's a sign from the Divine Dragon herself!"

The whispers would have continued had dust and pebbles not fallen from the ceiling. The entire room started to shake and everyone in the room tensed up.

"That ain't good…" Brady muttered.

"That hatch has opened once more, but how?" Laurent wondered. "The past two examples have shown that one must have a relation to the Divine Dragons!"

"What do you mean?" Libra asked.

"Questions later." Robin was up on his feet, looking perfectly fine despite having been blasted with a fireball earlier. "I don't think the ones coming here are doing so with good intentions, so we should get ready to defend this area."

"Robin's right," Lucina agreed. "Brady, Nah, Laurent, as much as I wish to sit down and talk with the three of you, we must put that on hold. I'm sorry."

"Do not apologize, Lucina," Laurent said. "It is quite understandable. With potential hostiles incoming, it falls to reason that we should prepare ourselves."

"And who the hell are you?" Brady pointed his staff at Robin. The circular gem at the end hummed to life. "Some sorta mercenary or - OW! For Naga's sake, Severa! Stop hittin' me!"

"That's Robin, you dimwit!" Severa punched his arm again. "As in _the_ Robin."

Brady and Nah's mouths dropped while Laurent only nodded, as if he suspected who Robin was all along.

"There's more than one Robin?" Robin joked, earning himself a punch from Severa. Once recovering, he turned to Laurent. "Are there any more rooms aside from this one? Somewhere the civilians can be safe from danger."

"There's a few hallways that extend further into the Shrine's underground, all leading towards one altar room," Laurent informed. "However, the hallways are quite narrow, so it'd be more advantageous for us to wait here for the enemy and - "

"And that's where you're wrong," Robin cut in. After a moment, his eyes lit up. "I've a plan. Let's go to the altar room, and I'll explain."

As everyone started to move, Robin threw a smirk at Lucina.

"'Lucy'?"

Blushing heavily, Lucina quickly followed the others.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 ** _. . ._**

"Aaaaaand there we gooo…"

A click sounded from the lock Gaius was working on and the hatch overhead was unlocked.

"Nice job, Gaius," Chrom commented.

"How did you forget to bring the keys to your own manor?!" Reina glared at Virion.

"Twas not my intent," Virion said. "I merely…did not prioritize it on my mental list."

"Even the most courageous of heroes have moments of memory absence!" Owain exclaimed.

"Owain, hush!" Lissa hissed. "We're on a stealth mission!"

"Sorry, mother."

It wasn't the first time that Lissa managed to quell Owain's…eccentric attitude, but it impressed Reina every time she witnessed it.

"Are you four coming up or not?"

Chrom, Reina, Lissa, and Owain turned their attention back to Gaius, who was perched up above the hatch opening.

"Coast is clear, so hurry before a guard comes along," Gaius said.

"Right." Chrom nodded.

Grabbing onto the edges of the hatch, Chrom pulled himself up. Then, turning back around, he extended his hand down to assist the others.

"A hero needs no aid!" Owain cried, only to leap up and get his foot caught the hatch's edge and spectacularly plant his face into the ground.

"A hero also knows when to swallow his pride and accept help," Lissa said, nudging her son with her staff.

Holding back her laughter, Reina took a quick look around the area. They were in a small storage room made of grey stone. A musty smell lingered in the air, and based on the amount of dust that was settled on the wooden crates and the floor, Reina guessed that this room wasn't used for a very long time. On the opposite wall, a metal door was slightly ajar.

"How're you feeling?" Lissa asked Owain.

"It is not my face that is hurt, but my soul and pride. For I, the descendent of heroes, to have been felled by a - mmph!"

Owain was interrupted by Gaius, who clamped his hand over the younger man's mouth. The thief had a finger placed over his lips, sending a silent message to the others to stay silent.

"I'm telling you, I heard something!" A voice said from behind the door.

The Shepherds froze.

"And I'm telling you that you're just hearing things!" A second voice said. "No one's entered this hall since we've been posted here, and no one's been near our post since the shift swap hours ago."

"But what about the Ylissean League?"

"What about them?"

"Aren't they right outside the walls?"

"Yeah, they are. And that's where they'll stay! There's no way that they'll be able to breach the outer wall."

"But - "

"But nothing!" The second guard sounded quite irritated now. "You're just hearing things. And even if something is in here, it's probably a rat. Unless you think it was a ghost."

"O-Of course not!"

"Then there's nothing to worry about."

There was a moment of silence before the second guard sighed.

"Look, if it'll make you feel any better, I'll go in and check for you. How's that sound."

"O-okay…"

By the time the guard opened the door, the Shepherds had already hidden themselves with time to spare, so all the guard saw was a room full of old crates. As the guard started to walk around the room, Reina wrapped her hand around the grip of her sword. If it came to it, she'd have to kill the guard else he'd alert the guard outside, and then it wouldn't take long for the entire castle to be in search of the Shepherds.

When the guard's footsteps stopped just behind Reina's crate, she pushed forward on her sword's guard, drawing the blade by just an inch. By doing so, she'd be able to avoid the initial delay in drawing her sword, and by having her hand relaxed on her hilt, there'd be less of a delay in her movements. The result would be her sword leaving its scabbard and slicing an opponent, all in a single motion.

Granted, the move was generally used in an open area rather than a very confined room, but Reina was confident that she'd be able to perform the technique despite her restraints.

"How is it?" The first guard gingerly asked from outside.

"Like I said, there's nothin' here." The second guard turned away from Reina's hiding spot and started to walk back towards the door as the first guard entered.

"R-Really?"

"If you don't believe me, just come in and check for yourself, gods dammit."

The first guard peeked into the room before slowly stepping inside. He nervously glanced left and right looking for anyone aside from the second guard.

"See?" The second guard shook the first guard's shoulder. "Told you there was nothin' here. Now hurry up and get back out there before - " ***FWUMP***

Letting out a breath that she didn't know she was holding, Reina stood up from behind her crate.

"Nice one, Gaius."

"I aim to please."

Gaius stood up straight as he freed his daggers from the corpses of the two guards.

"Keeping your body parallel to the ceiling with only your daggers is a lot harder than I expected," Gaius groaned, wiping the blood off his blades. "I thought my stomach was going to tear apart before I fell. Luckily for all of us, and unluckily for them, the guards happened to be standing right underneath me."

"Let's move." Chrom stepped over the bodies and out into the hall. "Virion, lead the way."

"To where shall we go?" Virion asked.

"Either the throne room or the lord's quarters," Reina answered. "Whoever's in charge is bound to be in either one of those locations."

"Right you are," Virion smiled. "Fortune would seem to favor us, as my quarters are on the way to the throne room."

Virion's smile vanished when an explosion sounded from beyond the walls.

' _Frederick, Cordelia, what's the situation outside?!'_ Reina urgently asked. The Ylissean army was not supposed to have launched an offensive just yet. Not until Chrom or Reina gave the signal.

' _It would seem that our adversary has become a little aggressive,'_ Cordelia replied. ' _Their mages launched a unified fireball at our division. Thankfully, there weren't any casualties as everyone managed to avoid the blast.'_

' _If I may, I would advise that you brace yourselves inside,'_ Frederick warned. ' _Henry and Tharja seem quite displeased from the sudden attack. They have created a large fireball above their heads and are preparing to launch it.'_

' _And it's launched,'_ Cordelia noted.

"Incoming!" Chrom yelled.

A moment later, the ground trembled once more from Tharja and Henry's magic. Lissa held onto Owain for support, Chrom fell to the floor, and Gaius and Virion managed to steady themselves. Reina, being able to freely cast magic, had lifted herself off of the floor with wind magic, similar to how Robin would stay afloat when casting lightning spears.

"Need a hand, prince?" Reina smirked at Chrom. "It won't do for our Exalt to be so easily toppled over from a small tremor, now would it?"

Grumbling, Chrom took Reina's hand and pulled himself up, muttering a word of thanks.

"Don't worry, I won't be telling Cordelia of your little fall," Reina teased.

 _ **Oh, don't kid yourself. We both know that you are SO telling her about this, right?**_ Reflet laughed.

 _Shh. Chrom doesn't need to know. Not yet, at least._

Turning to hide the redness in his cheeks, Chrom motioned for Virion to continue forward.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 ** _. . ._**

"Lucina, duck!"

Lucina crouched just as a jet of water whizzed over her head, striking a mercenary in the chest. The pressurized water pierced through the leather armor, tearing a hole through his heart. Lucina had been in vulnerable in the brief moment after swinging her sword, and had it not been for Morgan's magic, she would have most definitely been struck by the raider.

"You have my gratitude, Morgan!"

Lucina yelled behind her as she thrust her sword into another mercenary. The Shepherds quickly learned that the newcomers were not bandits like they were expecting, but rather mercenaries. While this didn't change much in their plans, they had to adapt to the skill

"Astounding!" Laurent gasped. "Water magic? While also tomeless? The experiments that one could do with that is endless!"

"Not the time, Laurent!" Lucina grunted. "You can ask Morgan about her magic _after_ we've taken care of these bandits!"

"Of course. My apologies, Lucina."

Laurent opened his _Thunder_ tome, and with a quick chant, sent a bolt of lightning at one of the last two mercenaries in the hall. The mercenary nimbly sidestepped the magic despite the narrow hall. Setting Laurent as his priority target, he moved forward, only to be forced back by Lucina.

The mercenary's brow arched upwards slightly as he jumped backwards. Twirling his sword in a fluid motion, the mercenary lunged forward once more.

 ** _. . ._**

 _"Remember, wide, open areas aren't always the best areas for a fight. It tends to favor the group with bigger numbers, and right now, we don't exactly have numbers on our side."_

 _Robin stretched his arms as he started to explain his strategy to the others after having gathered the Shepherds, Future Children, Rose, and Neun in a circle in the back room. Near the back wall was a humble statue of the very dragon depicted on the mosaic._

 _"We've got ten capable fighters here, and one's a damn dragon," Brady pointed out._

 _"Correction: we have seven fighters, two healers, and a dragon," Robin said._

 _"Are you sayin' that I can't fight?" Brady growled._

 _"Not quite," Libra calmly said. "It's not that us healers cannot fight, it's that we shouldn't. Should we be injured, knocked unconscious, or Naga forbid, killed, then how who will tend to the wounded?"_

 _"Exactly." Robin gave a nod of thanks to the priest. "Nah is also a dragon, and dragons aren't exactly small, so she won't even be able to fight."_

 _"So why not take the fight back in the open room?" Nah asked. "Wouldn't it make it easier for us if we have more room to move around?"_

 _"Yeah!" Rose exclaimed, lightly hopping from one foot onto the other. "I fight best in an open area, and my weapon is kinda…not small?" Rose's voice petered out as her fingers landed on a small, red rectangular box strapped to her thigh._

 _Robin shook his head. "That's the very room that we want to avoid. As stated earlier, we don't know how many are coming down here. If their numbers greatly exceed ours, then we'll easily get surrounded and annihilated." He looked down at the two hallways on either side of him. "We'll stick to the halls, using them as choke-points so that we don't get overwhelmed."_

 _"But the halls are almost too narrow to fight in," Laurent noted. "One can barely swing a weapon in there."_

 _"Correct. However, if utilized properly, it can lead to our survival. If we can only fit single file and barely have enough room to swing our weapons, the same goes for the enemy. We force them to come one at a time._

 _"We've a mix of both spellcasters and melee fighters, so we'll split ourselves up into three teams, one for each hall. The first one will be Lucina, Morgan, and Laurent. The second will be Severa and I. Lucina and Severa, you two are the ones in the front, while Laurent and I will be casting magic from behind."_

 _"What about me?" Morgan asked._

 _"You will be on both jobs, using both your sword and magic, supporting Lucina and Laurent at the same time," Robin answered. "If you're to use magic, make sure to keep it weak, but just strong enough to down enemies. Do not use any form of Fire spells, as their explosive power could easily cave in the halls. These foundations…" Robin tapped the on wall behind him, causing bits of marble to fall from the ceiling to prove his point. "…aren't exactly the most stable, Severa."_

 _"What." Severa shot Robin a glare._

 _"I'm talking about you NOT using your_ Catalyst _magic here," Robin said. "If_ Fire _magic would cave in a hall, then your explosive swings will literally bring this entire underground down on our heads."_

 _"…Fine…" Severa grumbled._

 _"Lastly, Rose and Neun, you two will take the last corridor." Robin turned his attention to the two. "Normally, I'd like for us to work together, but seeing how our options are limited, I'd rather not take the risk of fighting off opponents while also adapting to each others fighting styles. I take it that the two of you will be able to work together without much of a problem?"_

 _Neun and Rose glanced at one another._

 _"None at all," Neun answered._

 _"Great!" Robin dusted his hands. "Let's get to work."_

 ** _. . ._**

"Morgan, now!" Lucina yelled out just as she parried the mercenary's sword onto the wall.

The moment Lucina backpedaled away from the mercenary, Morgan propelled herself over Lucina with a gust of wind as she raised her leg up in preparation for an axe kick. The mercenary started to raise his arm to block Morgan's heel when he noticed a spark of electricity dance around Morgan's leg.

The mercenary nimbly back stepped, dodging Morgan's heel, which was now coated in lightning. The moment Morgan landed on the ground, Lucina vaulted over Morgan as Laurent weaved a blade of wind between the two girls.

The mercenary's face twisted with strain as he leaned back to dodge Laurent's _Wind_ , then proceeded use the momentum to flip backwards and just out of the reach of Lucina's sword. However, when Morgan warped Lucina in front of him, his eyes widened with surprise, which caused enough of a delay in his reactions to prevent Lucina's sword from running through his heart.

Removing Falchion from the mercenary, Lucina raised her sword at the last remaining mercenary. Just by looking at him, Lucina could tell that he was far more experienced than any of the mercenaries that she fought earlier. She was about to lunge forward when Morgan placed her hand on Lucina's shoulder.

"Morgan?" Lucina worriedly looked at Morgan as she cautiously walked forward.

"Laurent, can you go check up on the others? See if they're alright?" Morgan said over her shoulder.

Laurent hesitated, but with a reassuring nod from Lucina, he retreated down the hall.

"Can I ask you a question?" Morgan asked the mercenary.

"Go right ahead," the man replied.

Morgan took in a deep breath. "Where'd you get your hat?! I love it!"

Lucina and the mercenary were both taken aback at Morgan's unexpected question and nearly dropped their respective weapons.

"Morgan, now is not the time for such questions!" Lucina reprimanded.

"But look it at!" Morgan whined.

Lucina took a moment to take a closer took at the man's hat. It looked similar to the leather, tri-pointed hat that Reina wore, but this one was dark green, the same color as the man's coat. Even Lucina had to admit that it was indeed a spectacular hat.

"Heh, thanks. Not everyone appreciates my hat." The man smiled and readied his sword once more. "Makes it pity that we had to meet like this."

"Why is it that you're here?" Lucina asked, taking advantage of the momentary ceasefire. "You're a mercenary, I can guess that much, but I want to know the reason as to why you were hired."

The mercenary shrugged. "You guessed right; the emperor's tactician, Excellus, is paying the bill. For some reason, he wants the priests and clerics of this shrine dead along with anyone else in the shrine."

"Then perhaps you'd be willing to listen to reason?" Lucina stepped forward as she lowered her sword in a sign of peace. "Emperor Walhart is mad. If he is not stopped, then he will bring forth the ruin of the world. His path of conquest will mean nothing!"

"Hey, I've nothing personal against you, but I'm just a simple mercenary." The man lowered his sword as well. "I could honestly care less about Walhart and such. But, the world's destruction? That's a little farfetched, don't you think?"

"That's - "

"But, even so…"

The man sighed, muttering a few words under his breath. However, despite his lowered tone, Morgan was able catch a few words.

"…Not the first time…kinda like Eirika…should I…?" The mercenary let out another sigh. Then, he looked back up at Lucina and Morgan. "Tell me, do you two like to gamble?"

His question caught both of them off guard.

"Wh-what?" Lucina sputtered.

"Gambling. You know, making bets and all?"

"I know what gambling is!" Lucina quickly said, slightly embarrassed and annoyed at his words. "Why is it that you ask us this"

The man pulled out a single coin from the inside of his robes. "I used to travel with a large group before coming to this land. A few members from said group would keep telling me to stop gambling, and I tried, but I found myself constantly going back to it. It's…what I live for, you could say. In fact, it's how I ended up here, under this contract."

"Where are you going with this?" Lucina asked.

"What say we have a little wager?" The man offered, balancing the coin on his thumb. "If you win, I'll believe your words of the world's destruction and all. Heads, your win. Tails, my loss. How's that sound?"

"This is no time for games - "

"Okay." Morgan cut in.

"Morgan!" Lucina started to protest, but stopped when she noticed the look in her eyes. It was the very look that Robin would have whenever one of his strategies was going according to plan.

"Crest is heads, blank is tails." The mercenary smiled and flicked the coin at Morgan. Easily catching the coin out of the air, Morgan raised her fist with the coin firmly held inside.

"Well? Which is it?" The man eagerly asked.

Morgan slowly unclenched her fist, revealing the gold coin in her palm. A symbol that looked to be a family crest was depicted on the coin's surface.

"It's heads," Morgan said.

"Figures. I haven't won anything at all for the past couple of days." The man let out a deep sigh. "Well, Lady Luck has spoken. Guess I'll be helping you out now."

Lucina blinked. "Wait, that's it?"

"Yeah." The man nodded. "I might cheat, but I never worm out of a bet. Personal rule of mine. Keeps me honest, y'know?"

"And what of your mercenary contract?" Lucina suspiciously narrowed her eyes. "I thought the same rule applied to that; not worming your way out of them. Don't you mercenaries have a reputation to uphold?"

"This and that are two different things," he replied. "Also, that only applies if we get our money's worth. And lemme tell you, this job that I was given? Definitely not worth."

Both of the blue haired girls narrowed their eyes at the mercenary, one in suspicion and the other with a calculating gaze.

"Look, we can stand here all day staring at each other, or we can go help your buddies. Your pick."

"…Alright." Lucina finally said. "Let's go."

"Perfect! I look forward to working with you, Morgan and…" The man looked at Lucina expectantly.

"Lucina. And you are?"

"Joshua. Pleasure to meet you both."

He then started to walk down the hall towards the altar room and Morgan took a look down at the coin once more. The insignia on it was one that she couldn't place, though she felt as if she'd seen it somewhere, in a history book of sorts.

Then she flipped the coin to the other sides and blinked. Rubbing her eyes, Morgan flipped the coin over again to see the insignia that designated that side as Heads and turned it over once more to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

She wasn't.

Both sides of the coin was heads.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Reina tensed. Something was wrong. She didn't know exactly what, but something ill fated either just happened or was about to happen, and not to her.

"Reina?" Lissa looked over at the tactician. "What's wrong?"

Looking at Lissa, Reina shook her head. "It's nothing."

Angling her hat downwards so that Lissa couldn't see her expression, Reina looked down the hall that she and Lissa were guarding. There was no need to, seeing how the entirety of the Valmese forces stationed in Rosanne were off preparing to fight the Ylissean League standing just outside their walls, but it never hurt to be careful.

In between Lissa and Reina was a door that led into the ex-Duke Virion's room. Seeing how the duke's quarters was just off the path to the throne room, the infiltrating Shepherds saw it fitting to check both areas for the commander of the Valmese forces.

 _'Reina, this is Chrom,'_ he said. ' _No luck here, heading back out.'_

 _'Throne room next?'_

 _'Throne room.'_

A click sounded from the door, and Virion, Chrom, Gaius, and Owain all stepped out. Without a word, the group moved down the hall and into a much more spacious one. A velvet carpet was laid down as a carpet that lead up a lengthy flight of stairs, stairs that the Shepherds quickly climbed. Greeting them was a set of arched doors with the banners of Rosanne placed above the arch.

Gaius tried the door to find that it was locked shut.

"Tch," Gaius clicked his tongue. "Gimme a minute; gonna have to break into this - "

"We don't have time for that," Reina interrupted, channeling mana into her hand. "Move out of the way."

Gaius yelped and dove out of the way just as a wave of pure mana slammed into the doors. The force of Reina's attack broke the doors of their hinges as they noisily clattered onto the floor of the throne room.

The room was nothing short of extravagant. Velvet drapes hung from the ceilings along with multiple banners bearing Rosanne's coat of arms. The walls were lined with oil paintings, each one having either a person's portrait or a detailed design of what seemed to be important events throughout Rosanne's history.

What caught Reina's attention the most, however, was not the expensive paintings, or the heavy drapes, nor the size of the throne room itself. It was the fact that natural light was pouring in through the ceiling, which was completely made of glass. Reina would not even guessed that it was glass had it not been the coat of arms, made up of a myriad of beautifully colored glass, that was in the very center of the ceiling. The colors somehow only lit up the very center of the floor, but despite all of its beauty, Reina and the Shepherds were not here to bask in the room's glory.

"Damn it!" Chrom cursed, stomping his foot. "He escaped!"

"I would not be so quick to jump to conclusions, milord," Virion calmly said. "There is a hidden compartment in this very room that was to be used in times of desperate need. And I so happen to know exactly where it is."

Virion smoothly walked up to the throne. It was simple in design with a velvet cushioning. Reina half expected the archer to sit upon his old throne, but instead, he walked to the side of it. His hand then traced the underside of the throne.

"Now where was…? Ah!" Virion's face lit up as a clicking sound reverberated through the room.

As Virion proudly stepped back, the throne started to slide backwards on its own, and the flooring where it was once placed split in two, revealing a descending staircase.

"If the commander has fled here, the safe room, know that there is no where else for him to have run," Virion assured.

Nodding, Chrom drew his Falchion as he walked down the stairs. Not bothering to even check to see if the door was locked, he swung Falchion down. The wooden door was never meant to withstand such strength as it was easily shattered into splintered from a single swing from the Ylissean.

The safe room was a humble one, being smaller than Chrom's bedroom. A wooden table was placed near one wall with emergency food and supplies could be seen in glass cabinet on the adjacent wall.

"W-w-w-wait!"

A pudgy man in flamboyant clothes pressed himself up against the wall opposite of Chrom. Beads of perspiration rolled down his face as he tried to shrink further into the wall.

"Wh-wh-what i-is it th-that you w-want?!" The pudgy man cried.

Saying nothing, Chrom stood to his full height, towering the man despite being across the room.

"I-I-It's gold, r-right?!" The man desperately laughed. "N-Name your p-price, and I-I promise to give - HEEEK!"

The pudgy man let out a pitiful squeal as Chrom snarled at the mention of gold. Men like him, who thought that money would solve anything, were the type that Chrom despised.

"P-Power!" The man shrieked. "I-I'll give you land! And-and a title! U-Uhh - EARL! Th-That's right! I can make you an earl if you wish!"

"Lord Choiros, it pains me to see you steep so low."

The pudgy man, Lord Choiros, paled upon seeing the sight of the previous Duke of Rosanne.

"D-D-Duke V-Virion!" Choiros stammered. Sweat was flooding down his face, drenching his collar.

"Correct!" Virion clapped. "I am pleased to see that I have not been forgotten in my time of absence!"

Choiros's eyes darted from Virion, to Chrom, back to Virion, and then back to Chrom. Chrom didn't think that it was possible for him to pale even further as he was already white as a sheet, but he managed to do so anyway. Now, he looked as if he was a lifeless corpse, with clammy skin and no blood in his face.

"I-If you're h-here, th-then that means you're - !" Choiros found himself unable to finish his sentence, resorting to merely pointing a trembling finger at Chrom.

"It would seem that you already know who he is," Virion said. "As such, I would advise you to lower your hand, as your are in the presence of Prince - no, _King_ Chrom, Exalt of Ylisse, and leader of the Ylissean League, who so happens to be right at your doorstep."

Choiros immediately fell down to grovel at Chrom's feet.

"P-Please, milord, you must understand! I did not wish to take part in this! It was all Excellus! He was the one that made me - !"

"Enough." Chrom silenced the pitiful lord with a single word. "I am not the one you should be speaking to. Before I even came here, my entire company agreed to let Virion decide your punishment for your coup. Therefore, I have no power to sway the course of Virion's judgement."

Choiros lifted his head ever so slowly to look at the previous duke. While his face maintained a level of composure, as expected of his status, the fury in his eyes was very evident.

"I'll be waiting outside with the others." Chrom gently clasped his hand on Virion's shoulder. "While I would prefer that you do not execute him, I will not condone your actions if you do so. And if you want, what happens here will stay here, and word of this will not be made public, even to the other Shepherds."

"Thank you, milord," Virion bowed.

With one last nod, Chrom exited the room and walked up the stairs to join his sister and the others.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"I swear I'm going to use a Silence staff on you, Severa."

"You don't even have one, so stop bluffing."

"I'm just saying that to make a point!"

"Your point being?"

"Stop using - Severa, no!"

 _ ***BOOM***_

"Gods damn it!"

A mercenary was thrown back from an explosion caused by Severa's sword, causing him to collide with a few of his allies behind him. Snarling, Severa twirled her sword in her hands as she stared down the hall. Behind redheaded princess, Robin was frantically throwing mana up into the ceiling and into the walls to support the hall with both Spacial and Reinforcement magic.

"Ceiling, please stop cracking and falling!" Robin pleaded. "I know Severa plays rough, but - ow!"

Robin yelped in pain as Severa pelted him with rocks from the floor.

"Don't you have some invaders to take care of?!" Robin whined.

"Don't you have a hall to prevent from caving in?" Severa snarked, channeling mana into her blade once more.

"I wouldn't have to if you would stop - STOP THAT!"

The hall rumbled once again as Severa's blade created an explosion upon contact with a mercenary's shield. A small smirk formed on Severa's lips as she cut of her mana flow. The her of two years ago wouldn't have even dreamed of continuously using her explosive blade. She still remembered how she collapsed the very first time she managed it. From then she put in continuous practice, two years later, Severa was able to create her explosion with barely a dent in her mana reserves.

"If we die here due to the hall collapsing, know that I will haunt your ghost as a ghost for all eternity!" Robin cursed.

"That doesn't make any sense!" Severa shot back. "Ghosts can't haunt other ghosts!"

"And how would you know?"

"W-Well…because…"

"Exactly."

"Oh, shut up!"

A warm light enveloped Severa's sword once more. She swung at another mercenary, but he learned to learn to not block her swings after witnessing what happened to his companions. Knowing that blocking would only end poorly for him, the mercenary took a step back to avoid Severa's explosive blade. In the brief moment when Severa whiffed, the mercenary made a hasty counter, and managed to pierce Severa's shoulder.

"Severa!" Robin started to channel a portion of his magic into his free hand while still holding up the ceiling. He raised his arm at the mercenary, but due to his position, was unable to get a clear shot at him.

"You - !"

Severa's foot lashed upwards at the mercenary. The pain from Severa's foot caused the mercenary to let out a whine a few pitches higher than normal. He then fell to the floor, writhing in pain.

"Oww…" Robin grimaced.

"I didn't even hit you," Severa said through gritted teeth.

Robin shook his head as Severa stabbed the poor mercenary on the floor to end his suffering. "You don't understand. Any man who witnesses another man getting hit _there_ will feel their pain."

"…That's stupid." Severa rolled her eyes.

The last mercenary was rooted to the spot, juggling his options of fight or flight.

"It is not," Robin argued, paying minimal attention to the mercenary. "Every man will feel for another man for we know the pain that they go through when hit in that spot."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." Robin grimly nodded.

Severa warily looked up at the ceiling.

"Ah, don't worry about that. I pumped enough magic into that to last a few hours, just as long as someone doesn't go around and shake the entire foundation," Robin proudly said.

Not a second later after Robin finished speaking, the mercenary decided to fight, and started to run forward at Severa. Even though she was looking away and had a shoulder wound, she had not lowered her guard, and was prepared for the approaching mercenary. What she wasn't prepared for was the fact that she was standing a little too close to the wall, just close enough so that the tip of her sword scraped against it.

"Crap!"

Severa yelped and jumped backwards as the wall detonated. Robin, Severa, and the mercenary froze as they watched the cracks fan out from the hole that was just created. They spread to the ceiling just above both Severa and the mercenary and stopped.

For what seemed like an eternity, nothing moved. The cracks were still, no air flowed through the hall, and the three fighters stood with bated breaths. Then the ceiling came crashing down on everyone like a river breaking through a dam.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Reina felt a chill run down her spine as leaned against one of the many pillars in the throne room. Some time had passed since Chrom left Virion alone in the safe room with Lord Choiros, and the wait was putting Lissa and Owain on edge. Chrom was calmly seated on the steps leading to the throne, surprising Reina. She expected Chrom to be the most anxious about this entire ordeal, but she clearly misjudged the exalt.

During the wait, Cordelia gave consistent updates on the situation outside the walls, giving everyone a small ounce of comfort. Tensions were still high, but fighting had yet to break out. Reina was about to ask Cordelia once more for an update when Virion finally came out of the room with Lord Choiros in tow. The man was uglier than Reina expected, and her face scrunched up for a second.

Nearly a full minute passed before Virion took in a deep breath.

"Lord Choiros will stand trial for his actions," Virion announced. "He will be judged according to Rosannian laws, and his punishment shall also be as such."

A collective sigh left Chrom, Lissa, Owain, and Reina.

"He as also agreed to tell his men to surrender, granting us easy claim to Rosanne and her territory," Virion continued. "He and his fellow conspirators will be imprisoned until the time of the trial."

Virion gave Lord Choiros a tap on the back; a silent message for him to go and announce his surrender. As he left, Chrom walked up and clasped his arms around Virion's shoulders.

"I know that could not have been easy for you," Chrom solemnly said. "But for handling the matter as you did, you have my thanks."

"I nearly released my arrow," Virion admitted. "During the time I was listening to his excuses, I wished for nothing more than pull back an arrow into his heart, and I feared that I was a moment's notice away from doing so."

Chrom arched a brow. "What stopped you?"

"I'm afraid that is a personal reason, milord," Virion slyly smiled, causing Chrom to let out a laugh.

"In any case, I believe our job here is done," Chrom said. "Let's go and join the rest of the Shepherds."

Nodding, Virion took in a deep breath as Chrom turned around and started walk down the throne's steps. He was able to get two steps in when the ceiling coat of arms shattered with a deafening crash, and Chrom instinctively raised Falchion up in a defensive stance just as a dark figure slammed into him with an abnormal weapon.

"Hey there, pretty boy."

The dark figure jumped backwards, revealing herself to be a beautiful woman with silver hair tied in a relatively short ponytail. She had a slightly revealing chest piece made of black leather with her leggings made of the same material. A black cape that split into two fluttered behind her, and each part of her equipment had red accents. In her hand was a slimmer version of a weapon that Reina thought only to be used in jousting; a black and red lance.

The rest of the Shepherds immediately drew their weapons at the unknown woman, who merely glanced at each one of them with piercing green eyes.

"I'm Captain, well, _ex_ -captain now, of the Third Army Corps 86th Airborne Unit, Aranea. Or Deadlord Anguilla, as the one that summoned me calls me. But I'd prefer my actual name, if you don't mind," Aranea smiled as she easily spun her lance in her arms. "Now then, let's see what you can do!"

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"So…" Brady looked up at Lucina. "Who's the squirt?"

Lucina's eyes fell on Morgan, who was cheerfully chatting with Rose. This was the first time she had come across someone who was able to match Morgan's limitless energy, and as Lucina watched, she had a feeling that the two could easily become close friends. Neun was standing against a wall behind Rose, watching the two girls with…was that curiosity in her eyes? Longing?

Libra was talking to the civilians in the room, calming them with his soothing presence. Laurent was scribbling something down in his journal, whilst Nah was doing her best to stay as far away from Rose and Morgan as possible as she conversed with Joshua. Well, more like Joshua was entertaining her with a few coin tricks.

"Morgan is Robin's daughter from the future, not unlike us," Lucina replied.

Brady nearly dropped his staff from surprise. "Wh-what!? But how come we never saw her?"

"We suspect that she may have come from a different timeline than ours," Lucina said.

"Fascinating." Laurent joined in on the conversation with a gleam in his eye. "You are implying that there are multiple timelines and worlds, am I correct?"

Lucina nodded. "Just as we hail from one world, Morgan, Robin, Reina, and Marc each hail from different times, all converging on this one."

"Wait a minute," Brady growled. "I know Robin and Morgan, but who's this Reina and Marc?"

"They…" Lucina frowned, realizing just how confusing it would be to explain who they were. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she didn't have to as the entire room shook from a rumbling that came from down the leftmost hall, the hall where her sister and Robin were in.

"What was that?" Brady asked, jumping to his feet.

Not answering the priest, Lucina sprinted down the leftmost hall. She was pleasantly surprised to see Neun running alongside her, her lips turned down in a worried frown. They descended a small flight of stairs together.

 _'Robin! Robin, can you hear me?'_

Lucina frantically spoke through the comm rings in hopes that Robin would answer. Her hopes were dashed when she received nothing back. She continued to run alongside Neun, praying that her sister and Robin were safe.

As she ran, Lucina noticed that Neun was extremely light on her feet. No sound could be heard as her feet touched the floor repeatedly, an action that was not mirrored by the princess. Her footsteps would echo off the walls of the empty hall, a sound that was deafening compared to Neun's.

Neun even carried herself with confidence, but not arrogance, a trait that was mirrored by only one other person that Lucina knew: Reina. If the movement was something that was achieved solely through their skill with the blade, Lucina knew that Neun was someone that she would not want to cross swords with.

The Ylissean Princess was so enamored by Neun that she almost didn't hear her speak.

"May I ask you something?"

Lucina looked at Neun. Never before had the silent swordswoman approached anyone aside from Rose and Robin, so for her to engage Lucina in a conversation definitely piqued Lucina's curiosity.

"Of course," Lucina replied.

Neun was silent for a few moments, carefully choosing her words.

"…How is it that your group came to find Robin?" Neun asked. Noticing the look of confusion on Lucina's face, she added, "My apologies, allow me to rephrase that. Was Robin…perhaps…found in a field, unconscious? With no memory to his name?"

Lucina froze, staring at Neun with a wary eye. Her hand slowly moved down towards Falchion's hilt. "How did you know?"

"Please, so not be alarmed," Neun quickly said. "It's just that Robin reminds me of someone very dear to me, very much so." She took in a deep breath, as if she was digging up painful memories. "I know this is not time nor place to tell you, but I once travelled with a group that I could call family. And whilst it was never openly said, everyone in the group silently agreed that _he_ was our leader, and from the brief moment I've been here, _he_ is almost just like your friend, Robin. _He_ too, was found in a field with no memory, and yet knowledgeable in tactics."

While not completely convinced, Lucina lowered her guard.

"I apologize once more," Neun said, lowering her head. "I did not mean to stall us. Your friend and sister could be in danger, and we should make haste."

The duo continued to run until they noticed the lack of light coming from around the corner. Cautiously approaching, Lucina turned the corner with Falchion raised. As it was a legendary blade, Falchion let out a dim glow, giving off just enough light for Lucina to see the ground in front of her.

A layer of dust blanketed the ground, the once green marble a now flaky brown. Rubble and debris was scattered everywhere, and a few ownerless swords could be seen here and there. None of those swords, however, belonged to her sister nor Robin. Her eyes darted around, hoping to see anything that was familiar to her, whether it be the unique swords that Robin and Severa carried, to any part of their clothes or armor, to the color of their hair.

"You know, I recall you saying that you could use a bit of magic." A voice suddenly croaked from the darkness. "You even used it on me, so why not make a flame?"

Heat rose to Lucina's face. She was able to wield magic to some degree, and the fact that she hadn't thought of using it til now embarrassed her. After a moment of concentration, a fist sized flame flickered to life in Lucina's open palm.

Any embarrassment that Lucina had been feeling was tossed aside, replaced by contorted mix of concern, fear, and shock.

"Heya, little princess," Robin grinned. "Glad you took my advice."

Lucina was rooted to the spot, the sight in front of her having frozen her joints. Robin was sitting down, leaning against the wall with Severa laying down on his thigh. Severa's shoulder pauldron had a hole in it, and the clothes around the paulron stained red, but there was no visible injury that could be seen from the hole. Her clothes had a few rips and tears, along with a bit of grime on her face, but other than that, she seemed to be fine.

Robin, on the other hand, looked to be half dead. His snow white hair was matted with blood that trickled down over his left eye, which he kept shut. A splotch of red could be seen from the folds of his cloak in a failed attempt to hide the injury, and he was keeping his right arm unnaturally still. When Lucina moved her gaze down at Robin's legs, she had to fight down whatever it was that threatened to come up her throat. His leg should NOT be bending in that direction.

"Wh…what…?" Lucina's voice failed her as she stared at the wounded tactician and sibling.

Robin shrugged as a playful smirk formed of his face. "Ceiling collapsed."

"I believe she's asking about the actions that occurred before and after the ceiling collapsing, Sir Robin."

Robin's eyes widened slightly as he saw the figure standing behind Lucina.

"Neun? I wasn't expecting you to be here as well," Robin said.

"I believe that if we are to work together, we should also help each other," Neun replied. There was a bit of hesitation in her voice, but Robin didn't press that matter.

"Before I answer, can we head back to the altar room?" Robin pursed his lips. "Sitting against rubble isn't exactly comfortable."

"Of course," Neun said, walking forward. "Lady Lucina, if you would?"

Lucina remained motionless, only snapping out of her stupor when Robin sent a feeble spark at her arm.

"Y-Yes?" Lucina stammered.

"I will carry Sir Robin back to the altar room," Neun patiently said. "Could you carry your sister back?"

"Whu - I don't need to be - " Robin started when a sharp glare from Neun cut him off.

"You are in no condition to even stand on your own. Hobbling back, even with assistance, will cause more pain and make your wounds worse. You are not walking."

Just like that, her statement was final, and Robin relented.

While it was strange how someone that Robin had never met before was able to convince him so easily, Lucina paid it no mind as she gingerly picked up her sister on her back. A few seconds later, Robin was on the back of Neun.

"I'm a lot stronger than I look," Neun assured both Robin and Lucina.

"I feel as though she's discreetly saying that I'm heavy," Robin muttered, earning a small laugh from Neun.

Neun proceeded to quickly move down the hall. Robin found that her movements were surprisingly smooth, barely feeling the bounce in her movements that was inevitable whilst moving. It was as if she was gliding rather than running. Due to his positioning, he was unable to see the small smile on Neun's lips, nor was he able to hear her whisper to herself.

"It's good to see you again, Mark."

 ** _. . ._**

* * *

 ** _. . ._**

 _ **|| Author's Note Area ||**_

 **So uhh…*scratches back of head* A month and a half gap, huh? Sorry.**

 **I know this is a very overused excuse, but work's been taking a lot out of me. We've been understaffed for the past few months at my job, and while we did get a few new hires, having to continuously show about half a dozen new hires the ropes is a lot more tiring that one would expect. I'm not complaining, since it's part of the job, but it is taxing both mentally and physically.**

 **But, enough moping. Here's some background info on the chapter.**

 **...**

 **Inspiration for the revamped Mila Shrine came from the layout of the Shrine from FE:Echoes. The underground/basement part of the Shrine was just something that I thought would be interesting under a 'What if' situation of,** ' _ **What if the Shrine was ever under attack? Where would the priests/priestesses hide?'**_

 **Having an underground area of tunnels as the fighting area was a little more difficult as I had to constantly keep in mind that the larger weapons wouldn't exactly work very well, nor would wide swings. Magic would also have to be toned down in order to prevent the entire tunnel system from caving in.**

 **Brady being able to shoot fireballs from his staff is just a thing I added. While they won't be powerful, the offensive staff magic is strong enough to down an opponent.**

 **As for the scene with Rosanne? That's just something that I added simply because it seemed like a more…realistic choice. Seriously. A single army stranded on a continent while being surrounded by an opposing army that vastly outnumbers them? Come on. I highly doubt that they'd be able to last a month.**

 **Another reason is because it's Rosanne. Virion and Cherche's home. I think it's only mentioned twice in-game; once during Virion's reveal and once more in the credits scene. I thought it'd play a bigger part in the game but…turns out it was just there as a means to add a small bit to Cherche and Virion's backstory.**

 **Enter our (not really) n** **ewest Deadlord, Aranea Highwind! My favorite character from Final Fantasy 15! Excluding the movie, Kingsglaive, cause then it'd be Glauca. But, this isn't about Glauca, it's about Aranea.**

 **As stated, she's my favorite character in the game. Reasons why being because she's gorgeous (imo), is a Dragoon, and is the perfect grey-area character for FF15's main cast. Then again, the other characters barely have any character to them, nor do they get much screen time. I'd go on a tangent about that, but this is not the place.**

 **And did I bring in Ruby from RWBY? Maybe.  
** … **Yeah, I did. All credit for the idea of bringing Ruby in goes to Matt Cyr, and further details will be disclosed at a later date.**

 **...**

 **And holy crap, this chapter took a long time to write. Seriously. I hit over 14,000 words with this chapter, and that's not including the A.N. Longest chapter I've ever written. I was not expecting this to take so long, but yeahhh… Hey. More for you readers, right?**

 **No, but seriously. I worked all night to get this out ASAP, and it is now past 7am. I have work in a couple hours. *shakes head* The things I do for you readers.**

 **jkjk. You are all lovely (I'm not joking about the 7am and having work in like 3 hours though...*sobs*)**

 **...**

 **Review reply section:**

 **\- Antex: Cameos and easter eggs are always fun to throw in, but I feel as though I'm walking a fine line between the cameos being cameos and the cameos simply throwing the entire story off track.**

 **\- Robby Onions: Don't worry. The angst isn't exactly gone yet. Also, I hope you liked the little extra Joshua in this chapter. That I put in specifically for you, though it wasn't much.**

 **\- Guest (Ch16): Golden Sun isn't a very well known game, which is a pity since the the GBA installments are definitely one of my favorite games of all time. But, seeing how it's not a popular title, it's quite understandable that you haven't played it. || I'm glad that you liked the Bravely Default easter egg! Sadly, I wasn't able to figure out a way to mention Tiz, but hopefully Edea, Agnes, and Ringabel was enough. Alternis, however, is used as a reference quite often, so…there's that.  
And as for the BD crew to fight along the Shepherds? I'm afraid that won't be happening in **_**Another Awakening**_ **.**

 **\- Guest (Ch17): Gangrel definitely has a lot of potential as a character. His supports and paralogue alone are proof of that, but I decided to go a little further. Overlooking my shameless reference to my other story,** _ **Plegia's Strategist**_ **, I took his character and story in a different direction than I did in** _ **AA.**_ **Chrom's father is barely mentioned in the game either, so I decided to add in a little bit of info on him to help boost Gangrel's hatred in** _ **AA.**_

 **\- Ghost Artemis: *Large block of text incoming*  
First: Water under the bridge about the age thing.  
Second: Marc's personal magic attribute is coming up soon. Just know that it's a "No" on your guesses.  
Third: I highly, highly doubt that this story will become a film. As in a 0% chance. There are plenty of better stories than **_**AA**_ **out there, in both writing and popularity, and those haven't been animated or voiced, so why would** _ **AA**_ **be the first? If anything, I'd say gokart48's [** _ **Bed Time Story**_ **]** **, TatsuiChiyo's [ _Retained Memories_ ], or Apon16's [ _Return/Beginning to Life_ ] stories** **should get that treatment. || But, hypothetically, if** _ **AA**_ **does get animated, or just voiced, you'd also have to voice Robin and Grima as well, seeing how they're one and the same.  
Fourth: That's a good theory, and it would work were it not for the timelines being mentioned way back during the single digit chapters. A quick summary of it would be:  
~ Robin is from World A, Reina is from World B. The two worlds are parallel to one another, with only minor differences such as the pairings of the Shepherds and the gender of Robin/Reina. After the death of Chrom in both of their respective words, A and B, they're transported to World C, which is the current world of **_**Another Awakening**_ **.  
~ And here's where it gets a little confusing. Lucina is also from World C, only when she travelled back in time to a past World C, her arrival, along with Robin and Reina from worlds A and B, created a small shift in World C to creat World C-Version 2. The Grima that's been summoning Deadlords and talked with the Shepherds a little while ago is also from World C, but now he's in World C-V2.  
~ Grima was never killed in worlds A and B since Robin and Reina never became Grima in their worlds, while World C's Grima followed Lucina into World C-V2.  
~Now, as for Morgan and Marc? That's a whole 'nother story and explanation that will be brought to light in the coming future.**

…

 **And that's all for now! Sorry once again for the even-longer-than-last-update's-delay. I'll see you all in the next!**

…

 **P.S. Another reason may or may not be related to the fact that I've once again gotten back into the mobile game, Unison League. Sorta. Stuff on that is on my profile. I don't really feel like typing it out twice.**


	30. (XXIX) Upstairs, Downstairs

"Ow!"

"Quit yer whinin'. It's only - "

" - only a broken leg, that's what it is. And cracked ribs that punctured a lung, dislocated shoulder, and a not-so-small scratch on my head, along with countless other - GAH~HAA!"

Robin yelped as his leg twisted and snapped itself into place. Ignoring Robin's cries of pain, Brady and Libra continued to work on his many wounds.

The moment Neun and Lucina returned with a ghastly looking Robin and an unconscious Severa, the altar room was in an uproar. Brady, Laurent, and Nah nearly demanded to know what happened to their friend, and Morgan would have tugged on her father to get him onto the ground when she was stopped by Neun.

It was only thanks to Libra that the others hadn't hounded Lucina with questions.

"Severa and Robin need rest." Libra's voice was calm but stern. "As a priest, healing patients takes priority over personal matters. Whatever questions you have can come after, am I clear?"

With that being said, Libra helped Neun place Robin on the ground. After a brief check over on Severa, Brady knelt down next to Libra and the two priests started the slow and agonizing healing process.

"Son of a mother - ! Careful with that! It's tender!" Robin whined.

"You have been through worse, Robin," Libra gently smiled. "I'm sure it isn't so bad."

"No, I think this tops all my other…experiences, including the ones from my world," Robin argued. "This even beats the time I was practically killed two years ago at the Midmire - "

Robin stopped himself as both his and Libra's moods visibly dropped.

"Tch…" Clenching his teeth, Robin dropped his head onto the ground and put an arm over his eyes.

"My apologies. It was not my intent to bring up such sorrowful memories." Libra solemnly lowered his head.

"None of the fault lies with you, Libra. The fault lies entirely with me and not being able to keep my own mouth shut."

Robin's voice was full of bitterness and resentment, yet none of it was aimed at the priest. Rather, it was aimed at himself.

Brady didn't know what it was that the two Shepherds were talking about, but he knew that it involved the death of someone close to them. He'd seen more than enough grieving faces and heard enough lamenting voices to know that much. He also knew that the topic should be left well alone, and he kept his lips sealed as a show of respect for Libra and Robin.

 _ **. . .**_

"Ngh…"

Severa let out a small groan as she regained consciousness. Everything around her was fuzzy and the sounds muffled. She blinked a few times to force her vision to focus. When she finally stopped seeing triples and doubles of everything, she could make out her sister, Nah, and Laurent, all crouched around her with worried faces.

"Severa!" Lucina moved close enough to Severa's face that she could see her own reflection through Lucina's pupils.

"Are you alright?" Laurent asked. Even the mage's brow was furrowed, which was very unlike him.

She did her best to let out an annoyed huff, but all Severa managed was a feeble sigh.

"…I'm fine," she muttered.

"What happened in there, Severa?" Lucina asked.

"I…I don't know…" Severa weakly said, searching her memories. "I remember hitting my sword against the wall, cracks spreading up to the ceiling, and then…and then… The tunnel collapsed. My feet wouldn't move, and I remember Robin appearing beside me. He…Robin put up a barrier to shield us from the debris, but he must've known that it wouldn't hold. So, he used his own body to shield me. After that, I…I can't remember."

The silence that fell upon the four lingered for a little too long for Severa's liking. Thankfully, the silence was broken by a wet crunch and a snap, followed by a pained cry.

"Son of a mother - !"

Severa heard Robin utter a few colorful curses. After he settled down a little, he and Libra exchanged a few short words that Severa's ears couldn't pick up when their talk was abruptly cut off and the mood darkened.

"Hey, Lucy?" Nah looked over at the princess. "I didn't mean to, but I overheard Robin and Libra's talk just now and…" The young manakete took a deep breath, knowing full well that what she was going to ask was a very touchy subject. "Robin mentioned that he was practically dead two years ago at a place called _'Midmire'_. Do you know what happened?"

Lucina's entire body tensed up upon Nah's words. "Th-That's…it is not a pleasant memory. For any of the Shepherds. For anyone in Ylisse."

Severa wasn't dense. She was easily able to take Lucina's vague replies and put two and two together. "It has to do with Aunt Emmeryn's death, right?"

Lucina didn't verbally answer Severa's blunt assumption, but the way she avoid everyone's gaze was enough to serve as one. Nah's eyes widened, instantly regretting the fact that she asked.

"Luce, I - I'm so sorry - I didn't - " Nah tried to apologize, fumbling over her words in her haste.

"It's…" Lucina grimaced. "I suppose I couldn't hold it off forever, and now seems like a good time to tell everyone, especially you, Severa, about Aunt Emmeryn's sacrifice."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 _~ A little over two years ago, on the outskirts of the Plegian capital ~_

A frigid wind swept through the desert. Dawn had just broken over Plegia, and the chill from the night had yet to vanish. Lucina regretted not bringing the cloak Robin bought her before they parted for the first time roughly two weeks ago. It protected her against the harsh climate of Regna Ferox, so the chill of the desert would have been no problem. Then again, it'd just end up being extra weight throughout most of the day, only having a bit of use after sundown.

As the sun rose higher into the sky, the temperature started to rise rapidly, and Lucina could feel beads of sweat forming from the small of her back to between her shoulder blades as she marched through the sands. Panne was keeping a steady pace ahead of her, and Lucina wondered how the taguel managed to regulate their body temperature. She was tempted to ask, but thought that it'd best be left alone.

Up ahead, Panne suddenly froze. "They're moving."

"What?"

The taguel looked over her shoulder. "The Ylissean-Feroxi army has started their advance on the capital." Her ears twitched once and she glanced towards the north. "The Shepherds have started moving as well."

"Then we must hurry!" Lucina started to hasten her steps, only to be stopped by a calm hand from Panne.

"We are much closer to the capital than both the Shepherds and the army," Panne said. "Even at our current pace, we will reach our destination before the Shepherds, so there is no need to hurry."

"But, Exalt Emmeryn - "

" - will not be going anywhere, nor will Gangrel execute her ahead of time. He is not that type of man. He would gladly wait for the prince to arrive before executing the exalt before his eyes."

Lucina didn't like it, but she agreed anyways.

"Let us go." Panne resumed her walk. "We can rest while waiting for the Shepherds."

Nodding once, Lucina walked after the taguel. As she walked, she recalled the last talk she had with Robin, and a sense of pride bubbled up within her. Countless times in her world and this world, Lucina had relied upon Robin, whether it was a small thing such as hiding her from Frederick or bigger things such as emotional support when they first met. And now, for the first time, their roles were reversed; Robin was relying on _her_.

Seconds turned to minutes, minutes to an hour, and an hour into hours as Lucina and Panne continued to tread through the desert. Judging from the sun's position in the sky, the execution wasn't long from now.

"Hold, man-spawn."

Lucina stopped walking and turned to Panne.

"We'll rest here for the time being," Panne said. "The capital us just over that dune, and the Shepherds have yet to arrive."

Lucina looked to where Panne was pointing. Just as she said, the tip of one of Plegia Castle's highest towers could be seen peeking over the dune, and it was a lot closer than she was expecting.

"Use this time to recover, man-spawn. I'll be able to hear the Shepherds when they make their approach."

Taking Panne's advice, Lucina sat down on the sand. Pulling her cape over her head to shield herself against the sun, Lucina closed her eyes. With nothing else to do, she started to reminisce on the events that occurred ever since arriving in this world.

While her original plans were the same, she never expected to deviate from it by this much. For starters, her identity was never supposed to be revealed. She was intending to walk her path as "Marth", and even though only Robin, Reina, and Panne knew her as "Lucina", that was still three more people than she originally planned on letting know.

Then there was the fact that she was spending a lot of time with Robin. To be honest, Lucina didn't mind spending time with him; in fact, she found herself to be enjoying his presence. More often than not, Lucina would be thinking of her dreaded future, and how dire her mission was. But whenever she was around Robin, those thoughts would vanish. Perhaps that's what he meant when he said that he'd shoulder her burden?

She didn't think that she was lost in her head for too long, but it turned out that enough time had passed for the Shepherds to arrive. Having been alerted by Panne, the princess and taguel started to move once more.

"We enter through the rear gate, find the exalt, rescue her, and then leave," Panne plainly said.

"What about the guards?"

"There are none. Every soldier in the area is either in the courtyard itself or fighting the Shepherds."

It was just as Panne said. As Lucina approached the rear gates to Plegia's capital, she was still surprised to see it devoid of guards. Not letting the chance slip by, the two quickly ran through the gates and into the streets of the lower district.

Despite being so far away from the fighting, every single door was shut, every window barred, and every shop closed. Not a single soul was on the streets, causing the lower district to give off the vibe of a ghost town. And Lucina hated it. The scene reminded her too much of the countless villages and towns from her world, villages and towns that she and her friends were too late to save from the Risen.

"They are starting," Panne noted.

Lucina strained her ears, and sure enough, she was able to make out the cackles of King Gangrel and the cheers from the Plegians, however faint.

"What's happening right now?" Lucina asked.

"The Mad King has ordered the executioner to kill - " Panne's voice was dripping with rage when it suddenly vanished, replaced by a faint smile. "The Shepherds' tactician. Waiting until the last moment, how very like him." Panne looked over her shoulder as they continued to run. "The executioner is dead, shot by the teal haired flirt of an archer. The Shepherds have begun their attack."

A relieved sigh escaped Lucina's lips. Aunt Emmeryn was safe. For now. Panne must've known this as well as she spoke again.

"Let us hurry."

"Right!"

As she followed Panne through the empty streets, Lucina occasionally glanced up at the sky, each time seeing something different. The first was a bolt of lightning descending from the skies as it struck a group of wyverns. A few seconds later, a squad of pegasus knights and a dragon engaged the wyverns in combat. The second time she looked, she saw a person flying through the air. The flying person then threw down a bolt of lightning and moments later, purple and yellow explosions appeared in the sky below the flying figure.

Before she realized it, Lucina had arrived at Grima's remains. Just seeing the bones of the dragon that destroyed her world sent a chill down her spine. Even though Grima was not resurrected, even though all she was looking at was its bones, just the sight of it was enough to nearly freeze Lucina on the spot. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, and it was not from the long run here.

"Just a little longer, Aunt Emmeryn," Lucina softly said. "You're almost safe."

Lucina was about to step forward when the world seemed to lose its light. The sunlight dimmed, the blue sky turned grey, and the temperature noticeably dropped. Next to Lucina, Panne visibly shivered as her pupils dilated in fear from instinct alone.

"No…" Lucina blanched. "No no no!"

The future princess was all too familiar with these sudden changes, as it usually heralded the appearance of either the Fell Dragon's avatar, a Deadlord, or both. A voice then spoke to her from nowhere.

"You are not allowed to proceed any further than this."

Shadows gathered at the base of Grima's skull. The shadows then started to rise, creating a doorway of darkness, and from the darkness, a lone warrior stepped out, spear in hand. Silver-grey armor, a circular shield with a small groove, and a helmet decorated with a plume of black feathers, all belonging to one of the most fearsome foes that Lucina had ever seen.

"The Deadlord…Equus…" Lucina's voice was nothing more than a whisper.

Whenever she and her friends would encounter a Deadlord in her world, they would run. Whatever objective they had, whatever mission they were on, all of it would be scrapped at the slightest hint of a Deadlord, for that was how terrifying they were. And for one of the strongest Deadlords to be barring her path made Lucina want to retreat like she did many times before.

"Come, Eudorous, Patroclus!" Equus called, but not to Lucina.

Confused as to who he was calling to, Lucina took a look around when the ground next to the Deadlord rippled.

From both sides of Equus, shadows gathered once more, but unlike before, the shadows did not rise to create a doorway. Instead, the shadows pooled together, and two Risen crawled out of the shadows. Both were in armor that was fashioned similarly to Equus's, but the armor looked as if they were made from scales.

"Why…? How?"

Lucina took an unsteady step backwards, her voice trembling. She took a quick glance around the area. Exalt Emmeryn was still standing at the edge of Grima's skull, completely unaware of the standstill behind her. Far below, the battle between the Shepherds and the last of Gangrel's forces were coming to a close. Only a handful of Plegians remained, and they were being cut down by the Shepherds.

"We must act. Now!" Panne urged. She had already transformed into her taguel form, her claws digging into the ground beneath her in anticipation of the fight ahead.

With a shaky hand, Lucina drew Falchion from her side. The moment the divine blade cleared its scabbard, the two Risen, Eudorous and Patroclus, readied their spear and sword respectively. Strangely enough, Equus stuck his spear into the ground. He then took a step back as the other two Risen took a step forward, barely giving Lucina a glance.

This action angered the princess as her warrior's pride was insulted. Equus then spoke, as if knowing her turmoil.

"It's too early in the day for killing princesses." Equus sat down. "Keep them at bay."

Eudorous gave a quick nod to Equus while Patroclus fluidly spun his sword in his hands.

"I must get past, and you…" Lucina took a step forward in preparation for a lunge. "You will not stop me!"

Closing the gap between her and the Risen, Lucina initiated the fight with a powerful thrust at Eudorous, who simply blocked it with his shield. Shrugging off her blow, Eudorous swung his spear at Lucina. Ducking underneath the swing, Lucina swung her blade upwards only to find Eudorous standing just outside her reach.

Lucina blinked in confusion. Eudorous was standing right in front of her a second ago, and now he was standing a few feet away from where he originally was.

Shrugging off her confusion, Lucina lunged forward again. Just as she moved forward, Eudorous's arm moved, and his spear found itself in Lucina's face. It was only by sheer luck that Lucina's foot slipped on a patch of sand, and Eudorous's spear only grazed her cheek instead of embedding itself in her eye.

The instant she found her footing, Lucina jumped backwards. Cold sweat dripped down her spine. She hadn't even seen Eudorous's attack aside from his initial movement. The speed in which he moved was inhuman, and Lucina knew that she was greatly outmatched. At this rate, she would never be able to get past the Risen and Deadlord, much less save the exalt.

From her peripherals, Lucina saw a bright yellow flame shoot up in the air. She risked a glance over and witnessed the last of the Plegians fall. A moment later, half a dozen pegasus knights took to the skies, each of them headed straight for the exalt.

 _Father…Robin… They did it!_

A sense of relief bloomed in Lucina's chest. That very sense of relief was replaced with confusion when she heard Robin's desperate cry.

"PHILA! FALL BACK!

Her confusion was then replaced by horror when each one of the pegasus knights started dropping, their bodies embedded with arrows.

Lucina nearly lost her grip on her sword. She saw Phila, the commander of the Royal Pegasus Knights, make one last attempt to retrieve the exalt when a dozen new arrows sprouted on both her body and her pegasus.

"Phila!"

The exalt reached out to grab the Wing-Commander's hand, only for it to be just beyond her grasp. Time seemed to slow down as Phila fell from the skies, her eyes already having lost their light.

"GANGREL! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Her father's rage; it was a sound of anger, grief, anguish, and pain.

"Careful, princess," Equus warned. "You'd best not look away from your opponent in the middle of a fight."

Lucina looked back just in time to narrowly deflect a sword thrust that would have pierced her heart.

 _Wait, sword? What happened to the spear?_

In the very moment of Lucina's wariness, Eudorous slammed his shoulder into the princess, knocking the wind out of her, and she painfully landed on her back. A pained cry sounded from her right, and Panne stumbled backwards as she reverted back from her taguel form. Panne had a hand tightly grasped onto her thigh as blood poured out from an open wound.

With great difficulty, Lucina rose to her feet. Both Eudorous and Patroclus retreated a few steps, creating an impassable wall consisting of only three soldiers.

"No argument with you, Princess of Ylisse, but if you don't stop now, you'll never see home again," Equus warned. He was still seated, giving Lucina a very bored look.

"Home?" Lucina trembled with rage, partially at Equus and his two Risen, but mostly at herself for being so weak. "You destroyed my home. You destroyed _everyone's_ home!"

"So you say." Equus stood up and dusted his hands. "But was it really the Risen?"

 _Of course, it was!_ Lucina wanted to shout, but the words were stuck in her throat.

"I say it was due to yourself," Equus continued. "And I don't mean you, specifically, but your entire world. Your people spent their entire lives warring with one another, and I can understand that. The names of heroes in wars will be remembered throughout history. It is the reason why I sought war myself.

"However, what is the point of wanting your name remembered if there is no one to remember it? What is the point when a being so powerful razes your world to dust? If you had merely fought together, you would have stood a chance against Grima, and your world would still be full of life. Your names would engraved in history, and you'd be a legend.

"So, I'll ask you again: whose fault is it truly that your home was destroyed?"

Before Lucina could form her answer, Equus threw his hand out behind him, and a gate of darkness tore through the fabric of space. Equus then walked into the gate with Eudorous and Patroclus following him seconds later. As the gate closed in on itself, Lucina wondered why Equus would leave now. Her answer came in the worst way possible.

"Aunt Emmeryn!"

Lucina cried out as she started to spring towards the exalt. Falchion clattered onto the ground as Emmeryn took a small step forward. That one step was all it took for her to fall.

The princess fell to her knees. Exalt Emmeryn was falling at a height that was more than enough to be fatal, and the grotesque remains of the Royal Pegasus Knights could be seen splattered on the ground.

Then, Lucina saw something that sparked the smallest light of hope within her. Her father, Robin, and Reina were all running forward. While Chrom and Reina got caught up with the Risen archers that were in the courtyard, Robin soared through the air. His face was twisted with desperation as his arm was extended to catch the falling exalt. The color faded from Lucina's face when a black arrow suddenly found itself in Robin's side. A second later, two more arrows found their way into Robin's chest, and a bolt of lightning descended and hit Robin squarely on the back.

Powerless to do anything, Lucina could only watch helplessly as another arrow pierced Robin's thigh and then a second lightning bolt crashed down on him. The force of the lightning threw Robin out of air, where he plummeted to the ground.

Lucina thought Robin was dead. Multiple arrows in the chest, a fall from that height, and two powerful lightning bolts would kill any man. But, as Lucina watched, Robin crawled to his feet.

"Robin…please…" Lucina sobbed. "That's enough…you don't have to try anymore…"

But Lucina's wish was unable to reach Robin's ears. The tactician raised his arm one last time, and another arrow sank into the very center of his chest.

Lucina felt as if her heart was being torn out. She failed. Robin collapsed onto the ground, possibly dead, and her beloved aunt finally met the ground with a horrifying crunch.

She wanted to scream, but her voice wouldn't come out.

She wanted to cry, but no tears formed in her eyes.

She wanted to run to Robin's side, to see if her friend was still alive, but her body wouldn't listen.

She wanted to talk to her aunt just once, but that was no longer possible.

It was only then when she thought it fair to just give up. But before she could think about anything else, a sudden force hit her on the back of her head, and she lost consciousness.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 _~ Back in the present ~_

"When I came to, I was on the back a carriage with the other Shepherds on our way to Regna Ferox. Lady Panne had knocked me unconscious in order to bring me back because she knew that I would struggle against her," Lucina finished.

Nah, Severa, and Laurent were silent. They knew first hand of how deadly the Deadlords were. And, however foolish, they thought that they'd be able to handle at least a single Deadlord. But for Lucina, one of the most competent fighters from the future, to have been overwhelmed single handedly by one of Equus's helpers? The thought was near inconceivable.

"So that's how Aunty Emm died…" Severa murmured.

"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner." Lucina shifted her gaze to the ground. "I should have told you at least, of all people."

"Hold on," Nah suddenly said. "If Equus was there, at Plegia two years ago, doesn't that mean…?"

Lucina grimly nodded. "Grima, the one from our world, somehow managed to follow us here."

Nah and Laurent paled.

"B-But how?" Nah stammered. "This doesn't make any sense! Doesn't that mean that there'll be two Grimas instead of just one? The one from our world and the one that's originally in this world?!"

"Grima opened a portal to travel to the past as well," Lucina explained. "How he did it, I know not, but that is what he told us when he paid us a visit."

"The Fell Dragon _'paid you a visit',_ and yet you still live?" Laurent asked in disbelief.

Lucina bit her lip. "It happened just a couple nights ago. I was out with my father, mother, Lon'qu, Reina, and Robin when Grima appeared out of nowhere."

Nah narrowed her eyes. "And none of you did anything?"

"You don't understand. We were caught off guard, and even then, he only seemed to see Falchion as an annoyance," Lucina said, recalling how Grima practically shrug off a stab from Falchion. "I pierced his heart, I'm sure of it, and yet he didn't die."

"Luce." Severa's tone alone told Lucina to get to the point of the Grima's visit.

"I-I know, Severa," Lucina sighed before looking at Nah and Laurent. "I need the two of you to promise that you won't do anything rash when I tell you this next part."

"Sure," Nah answered.

"Nah. Promise me."

"…Alright, I promise," Nah finally said.

"And you, Laurent?"

The mage was silent for some time until he closed his eyes.

"I vow to not act upon my own wishes," Laurent answered, taking off his glasses to clean them.

Seeing how that was the best answer that Lucina was going to get from him, Lucina took in a deep breath.

"To answer your question from before, Nah, yes. If the Grima of our world followed us, that means that there are two Grimas in this world. I do not know the whereabouts of the Grima from our world, but the second one…" Lucina bit her lip. "…The second one…is Robin."

Laurent dropped his glasses the moment Nah's jaw hit the floor.

"Correction: Robin is Grima's heart, not Grima himself," Severa added.

Nah looked over at Robin with haunted eyes. Her hand held onto her dragonstone so tightly that Lucina thought the stone would crack. Laurent wasn't much different. While his face expression remained calm, his shoulders were shaking. Whether it was from fear, dread, anger, or anticipation, Lucina didn't know.

"Both of you, relax," Severa grunted. "As I said, Robin is Grima's heart, so he isn't Grima. There's no need to be so scared of him."

"There's every reason to fear him!" Nah whirled on the red haired princess. "Don't you remember what Grima did to us?! To our world?!"

"Of course I remember!" Severa suddenly snapped. "How could I forget?! How could any of us forget?!"

"Then why?! Why should I not fear him?! _How_ can I not fear him?!"

"Because of what he did! Of what he's done!" Severa said through clenched teeth. "If you haven't been paying attention to what Lucina was saying, he practically killed himself while trying to save the Exalt! He suffered _those_ wounds…" Severa gestured over Robin, who was still incapacitated. "…to save _my_ life! Does none of that mean anything to you?"

"W-Well, that could all just be a ploy!" Nah desperately said. "To gain our trust and then to stab us all in the back!"

Severa rolled her eyes. "Gawds, it's like Sully and Vaike all over again."

"Nah, please understand." Lucina placed a hand on the young manakete's shoulder. "I've been with Robin for nearly three years now, and he is nothing like Grima. He's almost the exact opposite, in fact. While Grima's desire is for the destruction of the world, Robin desires to save it. Grima has no care towards humans, Robin shows compassion and understanding, and values life."

"Plus, even if you tried to kill him, you wouldn't be able to," Severa grunted. "Two entire years under his tutelage, and there's still a large gap between our strengths…"

"Wait a sec…" Nah narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean exactly what I said," Severa replied.

"I believe Nah is questioning your statement about your strength compared to his," Laurent clarified. "Based off of our innumerable encounters with the Risen in the past, I have concluded that your combat skill exceeds that of most of us that came from the future. So, my apologies if I find it a little difficult to believe that a mere tactician's combat ability outclasses yours."

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not the best around," Severa said. "And Robin is not a _'mere tactician'_. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a one-man army."

"Don't be like that, Severa," Lucina softly smiled. "The last time you sparred with him was a year after arriving at the Garden. I'm sure that you can make him fight seriously."

"Yeah, and after that, maybe I'll be able to beat Reina in a fight," Severa smirked.

"I think the highest accomplishment would be for us to beat them both when they fight together," Lucina said.

Severa grinned. "You mean for us to best the two most powerful Shepherds? Heh, way to dream big, Luce."

The sisters shared a small laugh while Laurent and Nah, who had no idea who Reina was, looked at each other in confusion.

"Who is this, 'Reina', that you speak of?" Laurent asked.

"My father's counterpart, female, different world."

The four of them jumped at the sudden voice. None of them noticed it when Morgan sat down beside them.

"M-Morgan!" Lucina quickly calmed her rapidly beating heart. "When did you arrive?"

Morgan absentmindedly shrugged as her gaze was locked on Robin. "Some time ago. You were about halfway through your story when I sat down."

"I-I see…"

An awkward silence settled on the group until Nah suddenly put her face in front of Morgan's. The manakete brow furrowed slightly and her nose twitched.

"You smell…" Nah murmured.

Morgan's tilted her head. "Well, I took a bath this morning, but there was also a lot of walking and fighting. So, there was a bit of sweat built up and - "

"That's not the kind of smell I'm talking about." Nah shook her head as she sat back. "I mean your scent. It's similar to Robin's."

"Well, yeah, I guess that would make sense since I'm his daughter." Morgan gestured to her coat.

Nah nodded, not surprised at this fact. Perhaps she may have overheard Lucina mention it earlier with her sharp hearing.

"But that's not the only one I'm smelling. There's another one, faint, but it's there." Nah sniffed Morgan once more. "Weird. It's smells…familiar…"

"Who?"

"I'd tell you if I knew." Nah sadly shook her head. "It's on the tip of my tongue, but…"

"Nah, please don't randomly smell people," Lucina chided.

"But - "

"Great, now you're making me wonder what the other scent is," Severa groaned. "Why'd you have to go and say that?"

"I'm curious as well," Laurent agreed.

"Curious about what?" Robin asked.

As with Morgan, the entire group jumped at Robin's sudden appearance. While Lucina and Severa calmed themselves down quickly, Nah quickly distanced herself from Robin and Laurent's hand inched towards his tome.

"Nah says I smell," Morgan said.

"I'm pretty sure we all do after all that walking and fighting," Robin frowned.

"No, that's not - uugghhh…" Nah groaned into her hands. "They have the same response as each other…"

"Like father, like daughter, I suppose," Severa quipped.

"Hmm, _'like father, like daughter'_?" Laurent's brow furrowed. "I wonder if that is true with other parents and their children. I will have to look further into that."

"Laurent, I think you, of all people, should know that the best," Severa pointedly said. She then looked at Nah. "Unlike a certain manakete here. She and her mother couldn't be any more different."

"You're telling me…" Nah sighed. "Over a thousand years old, yet she acted like a child."

"She still does, I assure you," Robin said, surprising Nah. "And before you ask how I knew who you're talking about, it's not that difficult to figure out. Including you, there's only three manaketes in this world. One is Lady Tiki, who is stuck up in the Mila Tree and has lived over three millennia. The other is Nowi, who said that she was a little over a thousand years old, and she's very childish, so she's the only other choice."

Nah looked over at Lucina and Severa with a terrified expression and mouthed, _'Scary'_.

"Enough on that." Robin rose to his feet with a wince. "We should join up with the others at Rosanne."

Noticing that Robin was favoring one leg over the other, Lucina quickly stood.

"Robin! Are you sure you should be walking?" Lucina worriedly asked.

Robin opened his mouth to reply when Libra answered in his stead.

"He will be fine, just as long as he doesn't strain himself. The climb to the surface will no doubt be difficult for him, but the rest of the journey should be easier on his body."

"Why not fully heal him?" Nah asked. "Wouldn't that make it a lot faster in the long run?"

"Not really," Brady said. "Healin' magic can't do everythin'. Little nicks here and there? No problem. Torn muscles? Gimme a little while and I can do it. A bunch of broken bones and a ton of other stuff? It'll be a loooong time before that's all fixed up, not to mention a bit of potential scarring."

"We are also running low on our mana reserves," Libra added. "Robin had, and still has, a lot of injuries to heal."

Eyes landed on Robin.

"Just how badly were you hurt?" Severa asked.

" _Bad_." Brady crossed his arms. "I dunno how he didn't die. Those same injuries on any other person woulda killed them. Question is, how'd you survive?"

Robin shrugged. "I guess being the host for a dragon god that's hellbent on destroying the world comes with its perks."

Nodding, Brady started to walk away. "Yeah, I guess so - " He froze. Then, ever so slowly, he turned his body and looked at Robin with a blank face. "What."

Severa wrapped her arm around Brady's neck and steered him out of the room. "Let's go."

"Wait just a - "

Brady tried to speak but was quickly silenced when Severa tightened her hold on him.

"Let's. Go. Brady." Severa glared at the healer. "It's a long way both up and to the rest of the Ylissean League, so I'll fill you in on all the details."

"But - "

"It's a _looooooong_ way up."

As the rest the group in the basement filed out of the room, Laurent pulled Lucina aside and asked her a single question. A question that would make Lucina rethink nearly everything she knew of since arriving in this world.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"Now then, let's see what you can do!"

Reina was already moving before Aranea finished speaking. With her Rakuyo in its twinblade form, she created a burst of wind at her feet and lunged at Aranea, the Deadlord. Her sword was knocked to the side by Aranea's lance, and Reina immediately leaned backwards to avoid getting hit in the face by a kick.

As Reina righted herself, Chrom joined the fight, creating a two-on-one scenario. Reina watched Chrom carefully, and weaved her own attacks in alongside Chrom's, leaving very little room to be countered. She was aware of Owain and Gaius lurking in the background. They looked as if they wanted to join the fight, but the both of them knew better, as Chrom's attacks were known to be a bit wild. Lissa and Virion were waiting patiently on either end of the room, the former having practically nothing to do as she was a healer, and the latter waiting for the opportune moment to fire off an arrow.

Everything was going smoothly with Chrom's powerful swings and Reina's fluid movements pressuring Aranea. Then, things took a turn for the worse the moment the Deadlord jumped. And it wasn't just a regular jump; it was some sort of super powered accelerated jump that generated enough force to throw Chrom and Reina backwards. Seconds later, she kicked off the glass ceiling and vanished in a blur of movement, leaving behind a shower of glass.

For what seemed like an eternity, Reina and Chrom stood back to back in the center of the hall. Their eyes were darting around the room for even a single glimpse of the Deadlord, and their ears picked up on her boots hitting walls and pillars all around them.

Suddenly, Reina's foot lashed out, kicking Chrom in the back, and sent the Exalt sprawling onto the floor.

"What the - !" Chrom entered a roll to break his fall. "Reina! Why did you - "

The ground beneath the two of them seemed to explode. A cloud of dust filled the space between Reina and Chrom, and a slender silhouette could be seen within.

"Oh, don't get mad at the missus, prince." Aranea's voice came from the dust cloud. "Were it not for her, you'd be laying down on the ground underneath my lance."

Reina swiped her free hand in front of her, and a strong wind scattered the smoke into the air. In the very spot Chrom once stood was Aranea, standing atop her lance.

 _She's fast. Fast enough to where I can barely keep track of her movements._ Reina clicked her swords into separate blades. _Need swift, precise strikes. Doubt Chrom can follow her, Gaius maybe, Virion and Lissa definitely not, Owain is also a big maybe._ Reina's glanced around the room, from the pillars, to the ceiling, to the walls, and back down the Aranea. _She's using the room to her advantage. Her speed coupled with the small room will make it nearly impossible to track her. Need to level the field a little…_

"And I thought Ignis was the strategist…"

Aranea's quip took Reina out of her thoughts.

"What's your name, girlie?" Aranea pointed her lance at Reina.

"Reina."

"Hehh~ What a nice name," Aranea smiled. "Anyways, I once knew someone who was the brains of his group. I know a thinking face when I see once, and you, Reina, have quite the face. And I'm not talking about your _face_ face, though I will admit, you are quite a looker."

Reina was not expecting a compliment of all things, and was taken aback from Aranea's comment.

"Are you and her together?" Aranea asked Chrom, putting her index fingers together, forming an X.

"Gods no!" Chrom quickly rejected the notion, a furious blush forming on his cheeks.

"Yeah, we're not a - wait a sec…" Reina glared at Chrom. "What was with that overly quick and forceful answer? Are you saying that I'm not pretty enough for you?"

"Wh-What?!" Chrom's cheeks grew redder. "I didn't - "

"What, so because you're married to Cordelia, who's absolutely gorgeous, you think that every other woman is underneath you?!"

"Oh, you were married?" Aranea asked, looking a bit guilty yet amused at the bickering between Reina and Chrom. Her question went completely ignored as Chrom desperately tried to defend himself.

"No! Of course not! It's just that I've never really seen - looked - thought of you as a lady!"

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"No no no no, not like - that's not what I - I didn't mean 'lady' as in a woman - wait no!"

Reina's hands fell to her sides as her shoulders started to tremble in rage. An icy wind blew through the room and frost started to form on the ground beneath Reina's feet.

"Chrom, you dummy…" Lissa groaned.

A large spear crafted from ice formed next to Reina, pointed directly at Chrom. Chrom was about to roll for his life when the spear suddenly changed direction and flew at Aranea. The Deadlord's foot lashed upwards, shattering the spear into shards of ice.

"I can deal with Chrom anytime I want," Reina said, answering Aranea's raised eyebrow. "You, however… If you are a Deadlord, then you're the biggest priority right now."

Aranea brushed off bits of ice off of her chestplate. "I'm flattered. Though, if the two of you are done, I don't mind resuming our fight."

"Fine by me," Chrom said, eager to get away from the embarrassing situation he was in.

Aranea took a step forward before raising her lance horizontally over her head, just in time to block an overhead swing from Owain, who dropped from the ceiling. She then raised her arm to her side and grabbed the wrist of Gaius, stopping his dagger's point a hair's breadth away from her throat.

Both Gaius and Owain's eyes widened in shock and surprised, not having expected their surprise attacks to have been so easily stopped. But for her to stop them, she herself must be unable to move, and Virion took the opportunity to fire an arrow at her back.

The moment Virion's arrow left his bowstring, Aranea twirled around on the spot, narrowly dodging the arrow while also tossing Gaius and Owain aside like ragdolls. Owain was thrown into Chrom, sending both men crashing to the ground.

"Gelidus!"

Reina slammed her hands on the ground, and a layer of ice covered the floor. Creating a small footstool behind her heels, she kicked off the icy ground and swung blades while channeling lightning magic into them. Aranea met Reina's swings with her lance, and Reina was forced to slide underneath it to avoid getting impaled.

Creating another foothold in the ice, Reina jumped back at Aranea with a green wind now surrounding her short sword and a sky blue light surrounding her long sword. Just before entering the range of Aranea's lance, Reina swiped her short sword across the air in front of her, sending an emerald blade of wind at Aranea.

With a grin on her face, Aranea leapt backwards, and the wind blade hit the floor. When she landed, she immediately stuck her lance into the ice in order to stop sliding.

Gaius silently ran across the ice behind Aranea. But even with all of his stealth, Aranea knew he was coming, and propped herself on top of her lance with a single arm. From there, she twisted her body as she swung down and kicked Gaius in the chest. A loud crack split the air and Gaius was sent skidding across the floor. Reina created a groove in the ice to slow him to a stop, and Gaius shakily stood onto his feet.

"Gaius, let me take a look at your ribs!" Lissa was beside him in an instant with her healing staff in hand.

"Thanks, princess," Gaius said through clenched teeth. "Pretty sure she broke a rib or two."

"She did," Lissa agreed. "Gimme a sec…"

While Gaius was being healed by Lissa, Chrom and Owain were double teaming Aranea. From the side, Virion nocked another arrow and patiently waited for a clear line of sight. As he waited, Reina ran past him while placing her hand on the arrow for a fraction of a second, and a red-orange glow surrounded the arrow. It was the very same enchantment that caused his arrow to explode during the liberation of Valm Harbor, and Virion silently thanked Reina.

While fending off both Chrom and Owain's attacks, Aranea narrowed her eyes at Owain. Then, her eyes lit up.

"Oh! I _do_ know you!" Aranea grinned as she parried one of Chrom's blows and knocked him aside with the shaft of her lance. "You're from that world of ruin, right?"

Owain merely pursed his lips as he relentlessly swung his sword again and again.

"Come on, you won't be able to hit me with those wild swings!" Aranea taunted. "Where's your usual peppiness? Your flair! I've seen and heard you do it more than once in that world."

"Enough, fiend!" Owain yelled, and made a powerful downwards swing.

The moment Owain made his outburst, a victorious smile formed on Aranea's lips. She tilted her body and Owain's sword sliced through the air not an inch away from Aranea. Before Owain could recover, she kneed him in the gut, followed by a powerful thrust from her lance.

Owain managed to raise his sword just in time to block the tip of the lance, but the strength behind the lance was enough to throw him backwards and crashing through one of the pillars in the room. The young swordsman hit the wall of the throne room before crumpling to the floor.

"OWAIN!" Lissa shrieked.

Lissa immediately started to run towards her son when a dark red lance found itself impaled in the ground before her. The owner of said lance was perched on top of it, staring down at Lissa with green eyes that looked to be shining.

"Hello there," Aranea sweetly said. "Pleasure to meet you again."

"What do you mean _'again'_?" Lissa glared. "I've never seen you before in my life!"

"Oh, that's right," Aranea lightly hopped to the ground as she pulled her lance out of the ground. "Time travel and all. Long story short, I had a run-in with you in your son's world. And it was the _only_ time it happened. Get my drift?"

The color was drained from Lissa's face.

"Y-You mean… You're the one…in the future…"

"...the one that kills you in the future? Yes."

Lissa froze, and in that moment, Aranea raised her lance.

"Looks like I'll be doing it again here, as well!"

Aranea started to move her lance when she suddenly jumped backwards, avoiding a plunging attack from Gaius. His dagger embedded itself in the floor, and he used it as a foothold to lunge at Aranea with his second dagger.

He never got close to her. Gaius may be nimble, as he was originally a thief, but Aranea's speed easily overshadowed his, not to mention her weapon had a much greater reach.

A well placed kick sent Gaius's dagger flying out of his hand, and Gaius barely managed to avoid getting pierced by her lance by ducking. Before he could do anything else, Aranea grabbed her lance with both hands and swung it sideways. The shaft of her lance slammed into Gaius's arm, and a sickening crack split the air.

The impact alone lifted Gaius up into the air, and Aranea grabbed his head before hurling him across the room. The thief tumbled across the floor before slamming into the throne. He made a single attempt to rise before collapsing onto the ground with his arm bent at an unnatural angle.

"Judgement!"

A white light suddenly gathered at Aranea's feet, and leapt to the side just as a pillar of light burst out of the ground. Her green eyes looked for the source of the magic, landing on Lissa, who had her staff held high. Lowering her stance, Aranea got ready to lunge at the cleric when an arrow sprouted from Aranea's lance. In less than a second, the lance was out of her hands and was flying towards Virion.

"By the gods - !

Virion panicked and managed to avoid the lance, but the explosive arrow still detonated, engulfing the archer. The explosion sent him crashing into the throne room's door, where he fell to the ground. A bright blue light flashed next to Virion, and Aranea materialized from the flash, leaving a trail of a blue particles from where she originally stood to where she was now. She knelt down to pick up her lance and didn't even give Virion a second look.

 _What was that?_ Reina looked at Aranea curiously. _That looked like a teleport, kind of like Robin's…_

Reina's thoughts were cut off when she had to roll in order to avoid getting pierced by Aranea's lance, which was once again thrown. In the middle of her roll, a solid…something collided with Reina's cheek, and she landed painfully on her arm.

With her vision blackened and fuzzy, she shook her head in an attempt to clear the confusion, only to lose her balance. She felt a thick liquid start to pool in her mouth and tasted copper.

"Ha…that's a lot of pain…" Reina muttered as she spat out a mix of phlegm and blood.

Blinking the stars out of her eyes, Reina looked up and realized that she was out of the fight for much longer than she originally thought. Lissa was collapsed on the floor and Chrom was standing a little ways away from his fallen sister. From a single glance, she could tell that Chrom was losing. His face was a mask of concentration, and his eyes were darting around, following the movements of Aranea's lance. Due to his focus on the lance, he was unable to see her materialize a tiny flask in her off hand.

The lancer sent a sweeping kick at Chrom's legs, and the moment he jumped to dodge it, Aranea tossed the flask into the air. A yellow and orange color was visible for a fraction of a second before a blinding light erupted from the flask.

Chrom, suspended in the air and unable to dodge, was swallowed by flames coated in lightning. No sound came from Chrom as his body fell prone on to the ground. Bits of electricity danced around him, and both his armor and skin were burned in various places.

Reina took a step forward to check if he was alive when she realized her mistake; she was so focused on the flask and Chrom that she had lost sight of the sole enemy in the room. Silently cursing, Reina pivoted on her feet and scanned the room.

"Looking for someone?" Aranea's voice came from behind her.

Reina immediately spun on her heels, her blades slicing the air behind her before she fully turned around. Confusion struck her when she felt nothing from her swords.

"Oooh, so close~"

Aranea's voice came from behind her again. Reina's body moved on its own, making an attempt to jump to the right when her side exploded with pain. From her peripherals, Reina was able to make out the end of Aranea's lance protruding from her ribs, slick with her blood. A second later, the lance was yanked from her body, and a force hit the center of her back.

Reina's world became a blur and the wind whistled in her ears for a second before she felt herself slam against a wall. The sudden stop caused her neck to whiplash, and the back of her head hit the wall, and her vision blacked out.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 _'Cordelia, Frederick!'_

The two knights suddenly perked up as Reina's voice echoed in their heads. Her tone was urgent, something very uncommon for the usually level-headed tactician. Word of Choiros's surrender reached them a few minutes ago, so the Ylissean League had yet to pass through the gates of Rosanne.

 _'Rei? What's - '_

 _'No time. Cor, get Lon'qu. Frederick, Sumia.'_ Reina cut Cordelia off, speaking rapidly. _'Throne room, now! There's a - '_

Reina's connection abruptly stopped, and Cordelia's mind was thrown into worry and confusion. She looked over at Frederick across the field, who gave her a grim nod, and the two left in search of the Shepherds that Reina told them to get.

Lon'qu was easy to find. He was placed in the infantry's vanguard alongside Vaike, Donnel, Inigo, and…one more knight, whose name and face Cordelia couldn't recall. Nonetheless, Cordelia flew her pegasus over to Lon'qu, who paled and backpedaled from her.

"Lady Cordelia?" Inigo sputtered, not having expected the queen's sudden arrival.

"Lon'qu, with me, now!" Cordelia ordered, ignoring Inigo's outburst. When Lon'qu didn't move, she urgently added, "Reina's in trouble!"

That got the swordsman moving as his pupils dilated by just a fraction. He wordlessly leapt onto the back of Cordelia's pegasus, and they took off into the sky. A childish grin threatened to form on Cordelia's lips when she saw how quickly Lon'qu reacted when she mentioned Reina, but she fought the smile down due to the current situation.

She quickly looked around her and saw Sumia's pegasus not far behind her, with both Sumia and Frederick on its back. The sun was hanging low in the sky, sitting just above the horizon. The first rays of the sunset were cast over the land, and a similar light escaped from the roof of the center building as she approached, followed by a plume of smoke. A few seconds later, the dull sound of an explosion could be heard coming from the very building that was releasing the smoke.

Sensing her urgency, Cordelia's pegasus pushed itself and flew faster. The air around the castle was much colder than it should have been, but that was the least of Cordelia's worries as she flew over the castle's gates. From the skies, she was able to roof of the center building, which was originally made of glass, but was now shattered remains of a roof.

"There, Matoi!"

Cordelia pointed to the shattered glass and her pegasus folded her wings, pulling them into a steep dive. Before Matoi even landed on the broken roof, Lon'qu jumped off the pegasus and through the broken glass. Cordelia followed shortly after once Matoi landed on the precarious flooring, and was surprised to have landed on a floor covered in a sheet of ice.

"Reina! Where are - "

Cordelia's words got stuck in her throat when she took a single look around the throne room. Scenes of a battle were visible throughout the room, from a broken pillar, charred walls, and most importantly, the bodies of the Shepherds scattered around the room.

Gaius was sprawled out near the throne, Virion was crumpled against the throne room's door, his bow snapped in two, and Owain was face down near a wall with a large hole on the wall above him. Lissa and Chrom were both on the floor near the back of the room, neither of them moving a muscle, and Cordelia's heart broke when she saw the burn marks on her husband.

A pained cry came from behind her, and Cordelia turned around just in time to see a silver haired woman in dark armor run her lance through Reina's chest. The woman proceeded to roughly pull her lance out before kicking Reina in the back, and Reina flew across the room and into a wall.

"Oh? Reinforcements?"

The silver haired woman gracefully spun her lance in her hand as she turned her attention on Lon'qu and Cordelia. Drops of blood splattered onto the ground around her, blood that belonged to Reina.

The ground suddenly shook as Frederick dropped down behind Cordelia, cracking the ice beneath him. Sumia landed next to Frederick, and a look of horror dawned on her face upon seeing the carnage in the room. Frederick, on the other hand, barely had any change in his expression as he saw the body of his liege on the ground. His eyes, however, were a different story as a fierce rage could be seen behind his brown pupils.

"Wretch."

Frederick's voice was secreted with venom as he unslung his spear from his back. Following the knight, Sumia and Cordelia drew their weapons, but Lon'qu was already a step ahead of them. He ran headlong at the woman with his blade drawn.

"Woopsie!"

With a blue flash, the woman vanished. A trail of blue light was left suspended in the air, leading upwards and onto the roof. The woman was standing there, looking down at Lon'qu, Sumia, Cordelia, and Frederick with an amused expression.

"Running away?" Frederick growled.

The woman shrugged and pointed up. Rays of orange, yellow, and red streaked across the sky as the sun started to set. "More like this girl doesn't like working after hours."

Dark energy started to swirl around at her feet. Rolling her neck, tossed her lance up into the air. At the peak of the toss, the lance dematerialized in another flash of blue light.

"Wait, Aranea!"

Heads turned to the sudden voice.

"I'm impressed," Aranea hummed. "I didn't think you'd be up already, prince."

Chrom was standing on his feet, but just barely. The only reason why he was standing was due to Falchion, which he was leaning heavily on as a crutch.

"Why…did you leave us all…alive?" Chrom asked through heavy breaths.

"I'll answer that if you answer one of my questions," Aranea said, pointing a finger at Reina. "Who is she? She looks as if she could be my summoner's twin or something. And as far as I know, _he_ doesn't have one."

"She's…" Chrom froze, unsure of how to explain who Reina was.

"Unless…she's him of this world?" Aranea shook her head. "I can ask him about that one personally."

The dark energy was at her waist now and continuously rising.

"Ah, that's right, before I forget." Aranea looked back at Chrom. "I'll answer your question, even if you didn't answer mine. I wasn't exactly trying to kill you, as per my orders. I was a mercenary before, and I guess I still have a bit of that merc pride."

"Orders? From who?"

"Come now, prince. Do I really need to spell this one out for you?" Aranea teased. "If I'm a Deadlord, then who do you think is the only one that can give me orders?"

Chrom paled. "Grima…"

"Bingo! And with you answering your own question through the means of me dropping you a heavy hint, it's time for this gal to take her leave."

Once Aranea was enveloped in a small tornado of dark energy, the energy started to dissipate into the air.

"Oh, and one last thing." Aranea's voice somehow echoed throughout the throne room. "Grima's still in the process of summoning the rest of the Deadlords, and you'll be meeting the rest of them as you continue on your little quest. So, I'd watch my princely - sorry, _kingly_ ass if I were you."

With that final warning, the dark energy vanished completely. Silence fell upon the room, a silence only broken by the thud of Chrom falling to the floor.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Chrom woke up to a white ceiling. He bolted up and winced when his body screamed in agony. He was in a large, velvet bed in an unfamiliar room. His bare torso was heavily wrapped in bandages as were most parts of his arms.

"Ah, he's awake."

Chrom looked around and saw Reina and Cordelia seated by a table across the room. Both had bags under their eyes and were drinking something that gave off a soothing aroma.

"What happened?"

The two women looked at each other. A silent moment passed before Cordelia nodded and Reina placed her hat on the table and leaned back in her chair.

"After that woman left and you collapsed onto the ground, Sumia and I performed some emergency healing on Reina," Cordelia started. "We may not be experienced healers, but we managed to close the gaping hole in her chest just enough for the bleeding - "

"WHAT?!" Chrom shouted, looking at Reina, who raised a confused eyebrow. "What happened to you?!"

Reina shrugged. "Aranea stabbed me with her lance. A weapon of that size can easily puncture a hole through your body, so that's what happened."

"But then - "

"Anyways, Cordelia?" Reina motioned for the pegasus knight to continue.

"Right." Cordelia nodded. "As we were healing Reina in order to stop the bleeding, Frederick left to get Maribelle and her best healers. Once they arrived, they healed you, Lissa, Owain, Virion, and Gaius enough to the point where they could be placed on stretchers. From there, everyone was brought to the infirmary. Maribelle suggested that you be brought here so that you could be treated personally by both her and Lissa."

Chrom looked down at his injuries again.

"How long has it been since then?"

"Two days," Cordelia answered. "This would make the third morning."

"And our situation?"

There was no reply for a few seconds until Reina finally spoke up.

"The people of Rosanne are content, and thankful, that we liberated them from Walhart's forces. Only, our liberation of Rosanne gave Walhart ample time to ready his forces. Fort Steiger has received reinforcements. We've also received reports that Yen'fay, Walhart, and Cervantes are moving their armies. If we stay in Rosanne, we'll be cornered by their armies and lose the war. We need to decide our next action quickly."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Chrom urgently asked.

"Robin hasn't returned yet."

Chrom froze.

"There's been no contact from either him or Lucina from the rings either," Cordelia added. "I know our daughters can handle themselves, and Robin especially, but I can't help but worry about them."

"Also, you can't exactly move around with those wounds, Chrom," Reina said.

"And what about you?" Chrom retorted. "I'm not familiar with how healing magic works, but if my burns are still under bandages, then I'm sure your wound is worse than mine right now."

"It is," Cordelia bluntly said, throwing Reina a glare. "Lissa said that she shouldn't even be moving around else she'll tear her wound open again."

Chrom looked at Reina. "And you're disobeying the healer's word because…?"

"Because there's no one else that can do my job?" Reina tone made it seem like it was obvious. "The only other person who has a knack for tactics here is Virion, who is still out of commision due to ruptured organs."

"What about Marc?" Chrom suggested. "He's your son, and he seems like he could take your place, even for a little while."

"I already asked him, and he turned down the offer," Reina sighed. "He said that he's not ready yet."

"Didn't you say that Marc is just as good as you in tactics and strategy, if not better?"

"I did say that, and I still think that. But Marc doesn't seem to share my sentiment. And I can't force him to suddenly take over the role of the Ylissean League's tactician in the middle of the Valmese War. That's an incredibly heavy weight on your shoulders, and it's not something that's so easily taken. It'd be similar to asking Lucina or Severa to lead our army in your stead."

"I guess that makes sense," Chrom muttered. "Then, what now?

"There's nothing we can really do at the moment," Reina said. "By my estimates, we have until the end of this week before we're either forced to leave Rosanne or until Walhart's forces overwhelm us. That gives us four days to decide our next course of action, and four days for us to recover and for Robin's group to return."

"Nothing's ever easy, is it?" Chrom groaned.

"Things taking a different path from my world isn't helping out much either," Reina agreed. "I should really stop relying on my past world's events. They're not of any use if I deviate from what happened in my world."

"Don't say that, Reina," Cordelia coaxed. "Your knowledge has helped us more than you know."

Reina gave her a questioning look.

"Battle formations during the Plegian War, split-second decisions made in the middle of a skirmish, freezing the water to wipe out the Valmese vanguard?" Cordelia listed off a few things that came to her head.

"Not to mention that you saved Emmeryn from an untimely death," Chrom added.

"Chrom…"

The death of Exalt Emmeryn was a touchy subject, a subject that was unanimously agreed upon by the Shepherds to not be spoken of, whether Chrom was in the vicinity or not. Needless to say, Reina was surprised - shocked, when Chrom brought her up.

"I know that she still died in the end, but…" Chrom gave Reina a small smile. "You gave both Lissa and I the gift of being able to stay with her for a longer time, even if it was just a few days. So for that, I can't thank you enough."

"Don't get all mushy on me," Reina playfully said. "I don't do well with mushy."

"As you wish, Grandmaster Tactician," Chrom laughed.

A comforting silence fell upon the three and Reina tilted her chair back.

"So, Reina." Cordelia tossed her friend a mischievous grin. "You and Lon'qu, huh?"

The precariously tilted chair was pushed back a tiny bit too far and it clattered onto the ground, taking Reina down along with it.

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Reina tried to act innocent, but the furious blush in her cheeks was working against her.

"Don't give me that, Rei," Cordelia teased. "You should have seen Lon'qu when Aranea kicked you across the room. I don't think I've ever seen him so furious."

Reina threw her hands over her face to hide her face in embarrassment.

"He was also the one that personally carried you to the infirmary, and wouldn't leave until Lissa said that she was going to disrobe you in order to heal your injury."

Reina now started to wildly shake her head.

"Wait, Cordelia, what are you talking about?" Chrom asked. He, on the other hand, was genuinely confused. "He's just taking care of a fellow Shepherd, isn't he?"

Both women turned to look at him, one with gratitude for momentarily getting her out of the situation and the other with an _'are-you-serious'_ look.

"Dense as usual," Cordelia muttered.

Shaking her head, she turned to look back at Reina, but the tactician was no longer on the floor. Instead, Reina was already leaving the room as fast as her body could go.

"What the - REI!"

Despite Cordelia's shout, Reina vanished, and the door slammed shut with enough force the shake the room. Her footsteps quickly got further and further away from the door, leaving the married couple alone in silence.

"She forgot her hat," Chrom said, still looking very perplexed. "Why did she bolt out of the room like that? I don't think I've ever seen her so flustered."

"She only gets like that from one topic," Cordelia said.

"About what?"

Cordelia let out a deep sigh. "Chrom, you're my husband, and I love you, but you are unbelievably dense."

"Whuh - what does - huh?!"

Sadly shaking her head, Cordelia grabbed Reina's hat and left the room, leaving behind an injured and sputtering Chrom.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"Just one more checkup before we depart."

"Alright."

The sun was a few hours into the sky, and Robin's group was preparing to depart for the second morning since the events at the Mila Shrine. Brady and Libra were currently at the outskirts of their camp to make sure that he would be fit for travel.

Pulling off his shirt, Robin placed it over his shoulder as both healers inspected his bandaged body.

"And if you would turn around?" Libra asked.

Robin turned his body so that his back was facing the healers. Libra started to carefully unwrap the bandages that covered his torso, revealing the skin underneath.

"No freaking way…" Brady muttered. "This quickly?"

"This is quite astonishing indeed," Libra said. "Robin, how are you feeling? Any discomforts or pain?"

Robin rolled his shoulders. "None that I can feel. Why?"

"I thought as much." Libra nodded. "It would seem that having Grima's blood isn't all bad. It has made your body much more resilient to damage and you heal faster than normal. But, this is all just speculation."

"Great, remind me to give him a high-five next I see him," Robin sarcastically said.

"So, something like this happened before?" Brady asked Libra.

The priest waited a few moments as Robin put on his shirt before answering.

"Twice before, from what I've seen," Libra said. "The most recent time was during the aftermath of retaking Valm Harbor. Robin had suffered burns from multiple _Arcfires_ and _Bolganone_ casts, burns that were gone by the following morning."

"And the first?"

Robin, who was in the middle of donning his coat, noticeably stiffened his shoulders.

"Perhaps another time, Brady," Libra quietly said.

Understanding the implications in Libra's words, Brady nodded and walked back to the camp. After a tense moment, Robin let out a sigh.

"Recently, a lot of my…unpleasant memories have been resurfacing a lot," Robin said. "Usually, they come at night, in the form of dreams and nightmares, but now? Now they come randomly, at any given moment. Sometimes, it's me just hearing things, and other times, the topic of a conversation somehow gets led into them."

"Robin, what happened with Lady Emmeryn was not your fault," Libra insisted. "You cannot keep blaming yourself for an unexpected occurrence, like the summoning of the Risen."

"But that's just it! It wasn't the first time that we've encountered the Risen there, and Aversa has deep ties to the Grimleal, who are zealous for Grima's revival! I should've at least thought of a contingency plan in case the Risen made an appearance, which they did!"

Libra said nothing, choosing to simply listen to his friend's outburst. Robin, who noticed that his tone was nearly to the point of shouting, immediately regretted having lost control of his emotions.

"Apologies, I didn't mean to raise my voice," Robin said. "I shouldn't have, especially not at you."

"It is quite alright," Libra calmly replied. "It is better this way. Keeping such emotions and thoughts bottled up inside can negatively affect one's psyche."

Robin stared at Libra for a few moments before he suddenly started laughing.

"That's something that I would say to someone else," Robin chuckled.

"I did get inspiration for that line from a certain tactician," Libra said with a small glint in his eyes.

"Make sure to give Reina my thanks," Robin jokingly said. "Thank you, Libra."

The priest gave Robin a serene smile. "Anytime. It is the job of any follower of Naga to listen to one's worries, and even moreso as a friend."

At the word, ' _friend'_ , Robin adopted a curious look. But, before Libra had time to mention it, Brady came rushing back with Morgan right behind him. Brady's staff was raised and Morgan had a ball of mana in her hand. A frantic look was on both of their faces.

"Morgan?" Robin turned to face his daughter. "Has something happened back at camp?"

Calming down a little, Morgan shook her head. "We heard yelling. We thought you were in danger, or under attack, so we came as quickly as we could."

Robin and Libra glanced at each other for a brief moment.

"Nothing happened, Morgan," Robin assured her. "Let's head back. Wouldn't want to keep Severa waiting for too long."

"Got that right," Brady muttered under his breath. "That woman can be the stuff of nightmares."

The group began walking back through the woods and to their camp. As they walked, Libra asked Robin about his strange expression from earlier.

"Oh, that?" Robin pursed his lips. "I just thought it a little strange that you called me a friend."

"Is that so wrong?" Libra asked.

"No, but I'm curious as to why you would consider me your friend. I've barely talked to you."

Libra pondered on Robin's words for a moment until he came up with an answer.

"You came from a different world in which you and I knew each other. With how familiar you act towards me, I can only assume that we were friends in your world."

"So, you're automatically considering me a friend based off of one of your assumptions about your future self?"

"Is that so wrong?" Libra repeated.

Robin laughed, one that was filled with mirth.

"No," Robin replied as he settled down a little. "Not at all."

Walking back, a sense of calm filled Robin. It was something that he had not felt in quite some time, not since his time at the Garden of Giants. And in a way, it felt refreshing after so long.

Once he arrived back at camp, that sense of calm was shattered in an instant. A sudden red blur flew by him, and Libra and Brady collapsed to the ground. The red blur flashed once more in front of Robin and it vanished, taking Morgan along with it.

"Forgive me, Robin."

The first thing that Robin thought of was a question; ' _What just happened to Morgan?'_

"But this is something that I cannot go against."

The second thing that came to Robin's mind was the thought of him scolding himself for not having expected something like this. He should have learned from one of his biggest mistakes in the past, yet much to his frustration, he failed to do so.

"The others are safe from harm. That was the least that I could do."

The last thing that came to Robin's head was realizing just how sharp Neun's sword was, which was currently placed under his neck.

"I apologize for keeping my identity hidden for the past couple days, but it was because I am known by a few members of your group."

A black energy swirled around both Neun, the very same energy that was seen with Equus and Grima.

Neun reached up and pulled down her hood, revealing her long, flowing green hair that was tied up in a ponytail. Sharp, emerald eyes stared into Robin with both sadness and conviction.

"My partner who took your daughter is Ruby Rose, currently known as Gallus, a Deadlord," Neun said, looking off into the direction where Ruby vanished.

Robin's mind was racing, cycling through a million thoughts per second. His eyes looked up and down Neun, taking in the details of her physical features, weapons, and clothing. Before she even introduced herself, Robin was able to deduce her identity by comparing her to a legend in the old stories he read in Ylisse's castle.

"My name is Lyn. Daughter of the Lorca, wielder of the divine blades, Sol Katti and Mani Katti, and one who has the honor of calling both Hector of Ostia and Eliwood of Pherae my closest friends." Lyn took a few steps back as her face turned into a grimace. "Now, I am called Simia, one of Grima's twelve Deadlords."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 _ **|| Author's Note ||**_

 **Honestly, at the rate in which I'm putting out these chapters, I might as well settle on a monthly schedule.**

 **On another note, the Shepherds got their asses handed to them this chapter.**

* * *

 **Huge thanks to Matt Cyr and N-Lorin for their help. Were it not for them, the flashback portion of this chapter may not have happened. N-Lorin in particular gave me a lot of insight and gave me a few things to think about when writing it, so thanks again.**

 **The flashback, as I'm sure you all know, is Lucina's point of view during Emmeryn's death. Equus makes a return, and his two fighters, Patroclus and Eudorous, aren't some random names that I've come up with; they're also from Greek mythology. Eudorous was one of Achilles' commanders during the Trojan War and Patroclus was a close friend of Achilles as they grew up together (they're depicted as cousins in the movie,** _ **Troy**_ **). While they aren't as strong as a Deadlord, they're still formidable foes, and I put them there to show the power gap between them and Lucina.**

 **Healing magic is something that I was thinking about for a quite some time. I originally planned on having it as a magic remedy that would cure all wounds in an instant like in-game, but quickly realized that it was overpowered. This is kind of seen back in Ch.6, when the colossus Risen barrels through the fort wall and knocks Robin out. From there, I started to take away the OPness and now it's more of a faster natural-but-not-really-natural healing.**

 **Aranea's fight is something that I had a lot of fun with. The Dragoon class in Square games are more or less known for their [Jump] attack. In fact, it's pretty much their trademark, and Aranea's initial attack was a [Jump], just a bit different due to the enclosed area she was fighting in. I also gave her Noctis's [Warp] ability from FF15, which is something that she can't actually do in the game. Reasons why is simply because I wanted to, and I thought it'd make for more of an interesting fight. That and I like to think that Noctis gifted her a King's Weapon.**

 **And some of you, if not most, guessed that Simia was Lyn in her introductory chapter, and here she is. Not really much of a surprise, but hey, at least your correct assumption is now confirmed by the author.**

 **And as for Ruby Rose from RWBY? She's a Deadlord in** _ **Another Awakening**_ **. Once again, shoutout to Matt Cyr for the idea of her being a Deadlord and he deserves all credit for this idea.  
Now, some of you may be thinking why Ruby is Gallus even though she isn't a Dark Bishop/Sorcerer as she is in FE. The reason for this is because the word 'gallus' is Latin, and when translated into standard English, means 'rooster'. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth. Rooster. Gallus. *mindblown* (At least I was mindblown when Matt Cyr told me that fact)**

 **Speaking of the Deadlords, if any of you are wondering why Lyn/Neun and Ruby weren't recognized by Lucina, Nah, Laurent, and Brady, things will be explained a little later on. I'm pretty sure there's at least a few of you thinking that.**

 **{ Large rant incoming }**

 **And Holy Naga, the fact that the game never mentions where each nation/country in Valm is gave me a ridiculous amount of trouble. Don't get me wrong, I love Awakening and all, but the map design in absolutely AWFUL. Not as bad as Fates, in which I could never tell where was what on the overworld map, but still pretty bad. At least the continent of Ylisse was easily separated into three land masses for the Halidom of Ylisse, Regna Ferox, and Plegia. Doesn't work for Valm.**

 **Granted, Valm is three land masses with three nations inside it, but the only obvious one is Valm itself, which I'm like 99% sure is the top leftmost part of the continent. Virion stated that Valm was a pitifully small nation, so that little land mass is the best choice.  
Then there's Rosanne and Chon'sin. I originally thought Rosanne to be the upper right portion of the map and Chon'sin to be that biggest one (Zofia), but for some reason, that doesn't sit well with me. In fact, I refuse to believe that it's as such. Cherche said that she tamed Minerva when she was nine in one of her supports, and the Wyvern Valley is on the right half of the largest landmass. I doubt that Cherche could have traveled far as a nine year old to the Wyvern Valley if it was that far of a distance away from the upper right landmass.**

 **Take a look at the previous titles, like Elibe and Tellius! They have kingdoms, nations, and countries all labeled and although there aren't border lines, you can tell what's what at a glance. Sure, if we look at Echoes, it only has two parts to the overworld map for Zofia and Rigel, but there aren't any small nations in those that are talked about in-game, not to mention that Zofia and Rigel are very obvious on where they're separated. The game also consistently goes back and forth on the border of Zofia and Rigel, and crossing the border is one of the major events in the game. You know when you're going from Zofia to Rigel and back. There is absolutely nothing of the sort in Awakening.**

 **But, I'm just taking this (Awakening's map, or lack of one) as an oversight on the devs' part. That or bad writing, which in all honesty, is not the greatest. Maybe it's both.**

 **For the sake of this story, and if any of you readers care, here's my view on the continent of Valm, and the nations in it. I recommend pulling up a map of Valm on Google or something to help out.  
\- Valm is the upper left landmass. Contains [Conqueror's Whetstone], [Valm Castle], and [Valm Castle Approach].  
\- Rosanne is the upper right-half portion of the largest landmass. Contains only [Wyvern Valley] and [Sage's Hamlet]. Bordered by [Demon's Ingle] and the river that splits the land in half.  
\- Chon'sin is everything from the [Demon's Ingle] down. Contains [Divine Dragon Grounds] and [Warrior's Tomb].  
\- The entire upper right landmass with [Valm Harbor], [Mila Shrine Ruins], and [Great Gate] is unnamed.  
\- The upper left portion that's left of Rosanne and below Valm is also unnamed. Contains [Wellspring of Truth].**

 **{ End rant }**

 _ **. . .**_

 **[Review/Comment Replying Area]**

 **\- Asarus King: Good to be back. Though, not nearly as often nowadays.**

 **\- N-Lorin: Many thanks as usual.**

 **\- Ghost Artemis: I'm just that good. jk || Honestly, I think it's because one, this site's namesake, "Fanfiction", is probably the main reason why. Fans of games/movies/books/whatever can come and let their imagination go free on whatever it is that they like. Unless a person on the site takes credit for something that isn't theirs, and blatantly states that they own it instead of giving credit to where it's due (like me saying that I own the FE franchise, which I obviously don't), I don't think the original creators will care much. This is benefitting them with no expense on their part, so why would they take away something that's giving them popularity among the community?**

 **\- SuperVegitoFAN: Never thought about that, but I doubt it'll happen. I can't figure out a way to bring her in without making it seem forced. || The bows are fantastic and also a pain in the ass to deal with. || And yeah, that innuendo was something that I was going for when I wrote out that line. I didn't really relate it to TFS at the time, however.**

 **\- Guest(1): You, dear reader, are too sharp for your own good. xD || Fret not, for everything shall be explained in time.**

 **\- Guest(2):** _" ** _Ab_ out time you updated!"**_ **Welp, guess it happened again. And the idea for bringing in Ruby does not go to me, as said in my previous A.N and in this one.**

 **\- Magic Ball: Ahaha, to be completely honest, this story has already gotten way more attention and recognition than what I originally expected it to get. I started this story without much expectations for it, and everytime I see the number of follows and favorites this story has, I think to myself,** " _ **What's wrong with all you people for you to like this story?!"**_ **|| jk jk ||  
But in all seriousness, it really is humbling (and flattering) to see those numbers.**

 _ **. . .**_

 **With all that said and done, thank you to whoever read this far, and I will see you all in the next update!**

 _ **. . .**_

 **P.S. The biggest reason why this update took so long was because I somehow managed to accidentally erase my 'Extra Data' files for Fates. The 'Extra Data' contained my Conquest and Revelations files, along with my main file that had godly units. Most of my time was spent regrinding Revelations and Supports, and I'm currently on Ch.19. || I don't think I'll start Conquest again out of fear. I don't want to go through that again.**

 **P.P.S. Fates being the main reason was a lie. The TRUE main reason why this took so long was because of Destiny 2. A game that I've been waiting on for a long time was finally released. That is all.**

 **P.P.P.S (Is that even a thing? 3 'P's?): The music for Fire Emblem Warriors? Ooooohhhhhh maaaaannnnn. Really wanting to buy a Switch, for both Warriors and Project Octopath Traveler. Speaking of Octopath, if there's any Bravely Default/Second fans here, I highly, HIGHLY recommend checking it out. And any old-school Final Fantasy players.**

 _ **. . .**_

 **Done for real now. See ya!**


	31. (XXX) Old Friends

**Number used a Phoenix Feather on** _ **Another Awakening!**_

* * *

A man was in a large room. He was hopping from one leg to another in a giddy motion, eagerly waiting for his guests to arrive. There was a hum in the room which was emanating from black cube that was almost the man's height. Embedded in the top of the cube was a small gem that gave off a dim blue light. It pulsed every few seconds, and a light would course through angular lines throughout the outer layer of the cube.

This was one of four creations of the man. This was his greatest invention, one that could very easily change the course of any war and cripple even the most powerful foes, leaving them vulnerable and weak. Of course, this included him as well, but as the owner of the devices, he had full confidence that he wouldn't be affected by it when active.

The door across the room opened and two men strode into the room.

"Excellus. I trust that you have good reason for calling us here on the eve of our upcoming war."

Excellus flashed a twisted grin at the two men. "Ah, you're here! Welcome, welcome!"

The first man, Cervantes, was one of Walhart's generals, and was outfitted in heavy red armor. Strapped to his back was an intricately designed battle axe that was as tall Cervantes himself. The gleaming metal shined brightly in the room, which was only outshined by the man's head, which was devoid of all hair, save for the ridiculously large mustache that covered half of his face.

"May I introduce you to my latest creation?" Excellus motioned over to the large cube.

"That's a block, you fool, not a creamy lotion," Cervantes scoffed.

"Not _'_ _creamy lotion'_ , you brute! Creation!" Excellus rolled his eyes. "Is your brain so dull that you cannot understand the simplest of words?"

"Yes yes, my mustache is an impressive, yet simple, work of art." Cervantes nodded. "But, I don't see how that has anything to do with that block."

"I'm not talking about your - !"

"Enough."

A single word. A single word was all it took for both Cervantes and Excellus to cease their banter. And it was spoken from the third person in the room. He was the man that Excellus was reluctantly serving under. Tall, powerful, and intimidating, this man was revered as a god in the eyes of the Valmese. Polished red armor with black accents adorned his body, and his helmet was more of a crown with two demonic horns protruding upwards. A silky black cape flowed down his back, contrasting with his long white hair.

He was also that man that brought the entire continent of Valm under his heel. With Excellus's strategies, of course. And this man, Walhart, would extend his reach across the sea and onto Ylisse. Excellus couldn't allow that. After all, he was promised to be granted all of Plegia by that damned witch.

"Excellus." Walhart's milky white eyes landed on Excellus. "Speak."

"A-At once, Emperor Walhart!" Excellus replied with a shaky voice.

 _This fool! Who does he think he's speaking to?!_ Excellus seethed. _If it wasn't for your usefulness, I would have the both of you burnt to cinders on this very spot!_

"This device here is something that can change the course of this war," Excellus started. "Of any war, in that regard."

"Oh?" Cervantes cocked a brow. "Explain."

"That's what I'm doing, you clod!" Excellus spat. "As I was saying, this device here can bring us victory with ease. All I need to do is this…" He pressed his finger down on the device's blue gem and a bright light pulsed throughout the cube. "…and all magic in the area can no longer be cast."

Cervantes looked down at his armored hand and made a fist. "I don't feel much different."

"Of course you don't. You don't have an ounce of magic ability in you!" Excellus drawled. "Any mage in the area will be able to feel its effect immediately, and the more powerful the mage, the worse the effect will have on their body. And as I'm sure you've read from the reports, the Ylissean League have very powerful magic casters on their side. Two of them, specifically. And those two so happen to be their main tacticians. A mage that can't cast magic is a dead mage."

"I see. In other words, you yourself can't cast magic either, is that right, snake?" Cervantes grabbed the handle of his axe.

A red tome appeared in Excellus's hand. Flames danced upon its open pages as it made its way to his open palm. "Did you really think that I wouldn't prepare for this?"

"And why, exactly, would you have a contingency plan, I wonder?" Cervantes asked.

"It's because you always looked for an excuse to off my head, you simpleton!"

"Cervantes. Excellus. Put away your weapons," Walhart demanded, and the two men complied. "Continue your childish bickering elsewhere. As for you, Excellus, how many of these devices do you have?"

"I've created four of these magic nullifying devices," Excellus answered. "Since it will affect both our forces and the Ylisseans, it's best if we place them within the bulk of the army, where our mages are not placed. Its range is wide, but limited, so all we need to do is bring this device near the Ylissean League, and they will crumple without magic support."

Walhart nodded. "Cervantes, take all four and place them in this fort's storage."

"Milord? Y-Yes. As you wish, Lord Walhart."

The general looked confused at the order, but saluted anyway. Excellus, however…

"What do you mean, Lord Walhart?!" He shrieked. "By taking just one of the four with you, your army won't have any problem with - "

"INSOLENCE!" Walhart's eyes flashed dangerously and bloodlust filled the room. "YOU WOULD HAVE ME WAGE WAR IN SUCH AN UNDERHANDED MANNER? THERE IS NO GLORY IN STRIKING DOWN A FOE THAT CANNOT FIGHT BACK!"

Turning on his heel, Walhart briskly walked out the door. Cervantes followed shortly after, and Excellus was left alone in the room with the nullifier. The door closed behind the general, and Excellus counted to three in his head.

"KAAAAHH!" Excellus threw his tome across the room in a fit of rage. "THOSE FOOLISH, PIGHEADED, MUSCLE BRAINED, IDIOTS! I hand them their victory on a silver platter, only for them to toss it into the wastepit?! How dare they, HOW DARE THEY?!" He took in large gulps of air in an attempt to control his breathing but to no avail. His anger remained along with his erratic breaths, and he tossed a look over at the door. "If they will not use my creations, then I will have to make use of them."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 _"If_ _the Robin that's with us came from his world to this one, and the Grima from our future followed us… Then where is the Robin who originally resided in this world?"_

Ever since Laurent asked her that one question a few days ago, Lucina could not stop thinking about it. The thought never even crossed her mind, and Lucina cursed herself for not having thought about it sooner. She should have at least considered it the moment Robin's memory returned, and it should have been obvious the moment she found out about Reina.

Was it because of her newly found optimism in that blinded her? Was it her blind faith in Robin that made it so that she was unable to see the obvious?

Because of her inability to see it, because of her lack of awareness, she was unable to lead her friends when they looked to her. And since she was unable to lead, there was hesitation in her choices and decisions.

When she heard Robin's voice through the woods, she was unable to make a clear choice on who should leave camp in search of Robin and Libra and who would stay behind. Thankfully, Morgan decided that she and Brady would be the ones to go. That way, Morgan and Brady would be with their respective fathers. It was a surprise when Libra figured out that Brady was his son the previous night, but that was neither here nor there.

After Morgan and Brady left camp, Lucina felt ashamed at her clouded judgement to go off alone. With her mind in disarray, her reactions were delayed when she turned around to see a sword at her throat, and in the split second that Lucina was frozen, Falchion was stolen from her side.

Lucina's eyes remained on the Neun, the owner of the sword that was currently at her neck. From her peripherals, she saw a red blur stop next to Neun, which turned out to be Rose. At Rose's feet was Lucina's Falchion, Nah's dragonstone, Laurent's two tomes, _Arcfire_ and _Elthunder,_ and Severa's sword.

"Do not move unless told to, Ylissean Princess," Neun said. "I do not wish to harm you."

Lucina's mind went blank. No one outside the Shepherds knew of her, so how could -

"No… It…can't be…" Lucina paled as it finally clicked in her head. "Y-You're…"

Neun nodded. "Lyn, or Deadlord Simia."

When was it, Lucina wondered, when it was unanimously decided that the Deadlords should never be fought? Was it when they were first summoned back in her world? Was it when every single rescue mission would be turned into a frantic retreat at the sight of a Deadlord? Or was it when each one of the original members of the Shepherds were killed off one by one by Deadlords?

Whichever one it was, it didn't change the fact that a fear of deeply rooted in the minds of all the Future Children, and Lucina was no exception. That very fear caused Lucina's hands to start shaking, and the strength in Lucina's legs threatened to vanish.

"Peace, Ylissean Princess." Lyn retracted her blade. "I am not here for a fight with you, nor with any of your friends from the future."

"Then why take our weapons?" Severa asked from behind Lucina.

"It is merely a precaution," Lyn answered. "As loathe as I am to follow them, I have orders that I cannot go against. I hope you can understand."

"Yeeahhhh, really sorry," Rose said before she put a finger on her chin. "Now that I think about it, I never ran into any of you in that ugly world, right? Kinda late for an introduction, but I'm Ruby Rose, a Huntress!"

"Gallus…" Laurent grimly said.

"Well, yeah, there's that too," Ruby weakly grinned. "But I kinda like my actual name, so…yeah!"

The ensuing silence wiped away the rest of Ruby's smile and replaced it with a pout.

"If you're not here to eliminate us, then why are you here?" Lucina asked.

"Grima said to make you stronger," Lyn said. "And strength comes in different forms, and Ruby and I have followed our orders."

"How so?"

Lyn glanced down at the gathered weapons by Ruby's feet. "If we were to replay this event, what would you do differently? If you've decided that you wouldn't let Ruby disarm you in the beginning, then you have already grown, and my job is done."

"I don't suppose you can just…give us our belongings back?" Nah slowly asked.

"Forgive me, but I cannot do so just yet. There is still something that I wish to see." Lyn stared off into the distance as she spoke. There was a hint of sadness and a bit of hope in her voice. "It's…personal."

Not a second after she finished speaking, Lyn tossed a dark marble at Lucina's feet. The marble shattered upon landing on the floor, and glowing purple lines traced a wide circle around Lucina and her friends.

"A defensive ward," Lyn said, answering Lucina's question before she even had a chance to ask. "Or an offensive one, if used in this manner. You will be unable to leave or break this circle, so please, for your sake, do not attempt to do so."

A rustling in the nearby trees drew Lyn and Ruby's attention, and a hint of worry flashed across Lyn's face.

"I will release you once I am finished here." Lyn turned around and started walking in the direction the rustling came from. She looked at Ruby and gave her a single nod, and the younger girl vanished in a red blur. A moment later, Lyn vanished as well at almost the same speed as Ruby, and the Future Children were left alone.

"Damn it!"

Lucina pounded her fist on the ward's barrier in frustration. This was all because of her. Her foolishness and her lack of leadership led them to be caught by one of their greatest enemies, second only to Grima himself, and Lucina looked down at the floor in shame.

"You've changed, Lucina."

Lucina looked over at Nah. "What?"

"You've changed," Nah repeated. "You're a lot more…I dunno, expressive. You used to be a lot more emotionless and serious, but in the past couple days, I've seen you smile more than a few times, which is something that you used to never do."

"I concur." Laurent nodded. "I hypothesize that your change was brought about due to the influence of the other Shepherds, mainly Robin. You have spent much more time around him than you have spent around with anyone in our future."

Lucina frowned. "Have I really changed that much?"

"Yes," was Severa's immediate reply. "You've changed a LOT, Luce. And this is coming from your sister."

"I did not notice…" Lucina muttered.

Taking in a deep breath, Lucina lowered herself and sat on the ground. Exhaling through her nose, she inhaled once more through her mouth. She continued this process for thirty seconds.

"Um…what's Lucina doing?" Nah asked Severa.

"A breathing exercise," Severa answered. "It's one of the first things that we learned from Robin early on during our training. Something about how regulating our breathing opens up our mana channels and whatnot."

"Sounds confusing."

"There's not much that goes into it, but it was seriously annoying to do properly."

Nah opened her mouth. She looked as if she was about to say something until she promptly closed her mouth. After a moment of her brow creasing, she looked back over at Severa.

"What else did he teach you?"

"Nothing that'll get us out of this trap, that's what else," Severa sassed.

"Perhaps I can help with that problem?"

A figure nimbly dropped down in front of Lucina, landing just outside the barrier's perimeter.

"You four seem to be in a pinch."

"J-Joshua!"

Surprised at the swordsman's sudden arrival, Lucina stumbled backwards as her meditation abruptly ended.

"The one and only" Joshua grinned and pointed at the runes on the ground. "Need some help getting out of there?"

"Pfft, as if you would know how to - mmph!"

Lucina placed her hand over her sister's mouth. Ignoring Severa's glare of annoyance, Lucina answered in her sister's stead.

"Yes, if you are willing,."

"Alright then, gimme a few and I'll get you out of there."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

A lone figure walked down the empty halls of Plegia Castle. A yawn escaped his lips as he stretched his arms behind him. Letting out a blissful sigh, he continued his leisurely stroll down the hall towards the throne room. He had just woken up from a nap that took the better part of the week to replenish his energy, and thanks to that, was filled to the brim with mana. At least, the brim for his current limitations.

Throughout the course of the past couple months, he was focused on summoning his Deadlords into the world once more, and the most recent one was the reason why he had taken the five day long nap. Not that he was complaining. A single Deadlord was an invaluable asset in his plans, and a smile would form on his face whenever he would plan to summon another Deadlord.

Such a smile was currently plastered on his face at the moment, but it wasn't just because of the summon that he was about to do. The main reason for his smile was because everything was going as planned.

His current Deadlords, minus one, were running around and beating the Shepherds silly to toughen them up. The war in Valm had taken a different turn than it had in his world, but it wasn't anything that was too out of hand yet. Excellus was trying to sneak around for his own gains, which was expected. He'd deal with that soon enough. Anguilla was returning from Valm, and now all that remained was _who_ he wanted to summon as his seventh Deadlord.

"I have Anguilla, Equus, Porcus, Draco, Gallus, and Simia as of now. Maybe Tigris? Hmm, maybe not. I already have a few hard hitters. Ovis? No no, not yet. He's a lazy bum that would just ramble on about that D20 again…and try to go for a drink whenever I'm not looking. Lepus would just drink orange juice and talk endlessly about the blasted sun. Canis?"

"Lord Grima."

A hooded figure appeared from the shadows in the hall.

"Ah, Porcus! Perfect timing!" Grima gleefully ran over to the Deadlord.

Porcus said he was originally an assassin, and Grima doubted it at first glance. What kind of assassin dresses in white and red and has a hood up all the time? That just screams for attention.

But that was it. That was precisely how and why he was a legend. He was dressed in bright clothing and walked around in plain sight, but he was never caught, or seen, for that matter. He would never purposely for nighttime for his assassinations, but would carry them out at the earliest opportune moment. He was able to infiltrate restricted areas full of guards, kill only his target, and leave without even being seen. All without the aid of magic.

"How may I be of assistance?" Porcus asked.

The assassin's accent was definitely something unique from his world, as there was no such language or accent similar in both Ylisse and Valm. To be completely honest, Grima actually liked the accent, and it made his already smooth voice sound smoother, if that was possible.

"I have a question - wait wait wait, no." Grima shook his head. "You were the one that called me, so you first."

Porcus nodded. "Very well. There is something strange that is happening between Simia and your avatar in Valm, Robin."

"Ah, you mean how there's a sense of familiarity between them?" Grima guessed. "To be fair, Simia thought I was _him_ when I first summoned her in the previous world. Though, I have to give her credit because she figured out that he and I were different being entirely within seconds."

"Do they know each other from a previous life?" Porcus asked.

"No - actually, yes? Kinda? Not really, but still a yes? Shoot, that's actually a good question, and one that I don't have an exact answer for."

Grima's uncertainty only confused Porcus further. Suddenly, Grima slammed his fist into his palm.

"I got it! Simia knows a version of Robin, but Robin doesn't know Simia! Wait, no, that's not very helpful either. Hmmm…" The smile that was on Grima's face was replaced by a frown as did his best to explain the situation. He then let out an exasperated sigh. "I give up. I can't think of a good way to say it, so I'll leave it at that for now. When I can think of a better wording for it, I'll make sure to tell you."

"I understand." Porcus nodded. "And I believe there was something that you wished to ask of me?"

"Oh, that's right!" Grima's cheerful grin returned in full. "I'm thinking of the next Deadlord to summon, but I can't decide on who."

"I'm honored that you would ask me, and I mean no disrespect, but should not the already summoned Deadlords have the first say?"

"Uhh…about that…" Grima scratched his head. "Simia and Gallus are currently in Valm, Equus is nowhere to be seen, damn him, and Anguilla is currently on her way back. And I don't know how long it'll take for her to return."

"And what of Draco?" Porcus inquired.

"I'm not exactly on the best terms with her, not to mention she's disappeared off to the damned ether or something. I've no idea where she is, and I know where ALL the Deadlords are at any given time!" A stress filled groan escaped Grima's lips as he rubbed his temples. "She hated me for summoning Mus in our previous world, and her grudge against me remained when I summoned her to this world. Needless to say, she was NOT happy when I told her that I'll be summoning Mus again, and then when her memory returned in full, well…"

"I see."

"How's your memory, by the way?" Grima asked. "Every other Deadlord had a bit of a blank for a little while before it all came back. Summoning is weird in that regard."

"Nothing that requires concern," Porcus replied.

"Nice nice." Grima let out a sigh of relief before returning to the previous topic. "I swear, she was never like this before, neither in her original world or our previous world. She used to always be this stoic and elegant archer. Now? Now she's acting a lot different. As if her mental age regressed or something. I doubt it was from the summoning ritual. I did it the exact same way back in - oh…"

Grima covered his face with both of his face in shame. Another groan could be heard from behind his hands along with a few curses under his breath. He lowered his hands and inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled through his mouth.

"I messed up."

Porcus stayed silent. Perhaps he was waiting for him to explain what he messed up on.

"You know how back in the previous world, I summoned all of the Deadlords when I was at peak strength? Not in this avatar with limitations on my power?" Grima asked, and Porcus nodded. "Well, it would seem that I may have forgotten a crucial fact about the finer points in summoning the Deadlords."

The assassin's posture suddenly stiffened ever so slightly. He understood what Grima was implying, and he looked down and flexed one of his hands.

"Uggghh, I messed up…" Grima whined. "Though, at least her skills haven't regressed in the slightest. I think. She was easily able to get past Robin back then, so her speed is the same. But then again, she did get kicked in the face a few seconds later cause she got distracted. Maybe this is just a Draco that's from before she became the Draco that I originally summoned? That would explain why she did see Robin coming when Lucina suddenly vanished. How _did_ she disappear, I wonder. Make that one more thing that I need to look into."

Grima looked up at Porcus. The Deadlord was doing multiple checks on his armor, sword, and his myriad of weapons hidden on his body. At first, Grima was curious as to why he was doing so, but then it clicked.

"Don't worry about you being in the same condition as Draco," Grima reassured him. "I'm ninety-ish percent sure that my summoning mishap with her was because I was still in a groggy state from bringing Validar back to life. So, not being at full strength for this body and summoning a Deadlord? Not the best of combinations. That wasn't the case for you or any of the others."

Seemingly satisfied with Grima's answer, Porcus did one last check on a blade attached to his wrist before nodding to himself.

"Bene. I will trust your words."

"Oh, before I forget!" Grima snapped his fingers in realization. "To answer your question from before, I picked you not only because you were the only one around, but because you were the first Deadlord that I summoned in the previous world. And now, your answer, if you would?"

Time trickled by as Porcus thought on his decision. When Grima was finally told the answer, he couldn't help but let out a third groan.

"Ovis? Of all the Deadlords, you choose the laziest one?"

Porcus shrugged. "I find him to be quite the interesting character. He is also the only one that I can share a casual drink with."

"Why not Lepus?! That guy is like a fish in water!" Grima voiced.

"You are right in that regard," Porcus agreed. "However, I find his personality to be a bit overbearing."

Grima opened his mouth, paused, and promptly shut it. "Huh, you're not wrong… Alright, fine. I'll summon Ovis. I did ask you for your choice."

"My apologies." Porcus lowered his head. There was a playful smirk on his face that Grima failed to see, and the Deadlord righted himself before Grima could notice.

"However, I'll be holding you responsible for all the ensuing headaches from that guy. Deal?" Grima jabbed.

"Of course," Porcus promised.

"Great! Now, come come." Grima started to walk down the hall once more. "Since you wanted Ovis to be summoned, you get to be there for it."

' _Hiya!'_ A chirpy voice suddenly blared inside Grima's head.

"Gah! What?! Who?!" Grima wheeled around in confusion.

' _It's me, Gallus!'_ The voice announced.

"Oh, you." Grima suddenly felt stupid for not realizing her voice. "Scared the life I don't have out of me."

' _Heh heh, sorry!'_ Gallus laughed.

"You're not sorry at all, are you?"

' _Nope! Not one bit!'_

"Not a single ounce of hesitation," Grima noted. "So, why the sudden contact?"

' _Just wondering if you have any snacks.'_

"I'm an immortal dragon god that has no need to eat or drink. What do you think? Also, I'm in Plegia, you're in Valm. You're literally across the world from where I am "

' _Soooo…is that a yes?'_

"For the love of…"

Gallus's cheerful laugh bounced around in Grima's head.

' _Anyway! I thought I'd let you know that Simia and I are about to head back soon. Bye!'_

The connection was cut off before Grima had a chance to answer.

"Her and Ovis…" Grima pinched the bridge of his nose. "They are going to be the death of me. And I can't even die."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

"…Another Deadlord. Fantastic."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Robin coldly stared into the emerald eyes that belonged to Lyn. There were many things that he wanted to say, and questions that he wanted answers for. But most importantly, he wanted to figure out what the strange tightness in his chest was.

Lyn was a Deadlord, and by extension, his enemy. He should be should be fighting her right now, not idly looking at her. And why was it that there was no hostility in her eyes? Why was it that she looked pained from Robin's hateful glare?

 _Questions for later,_ Robin told himself.

Steeling himself, Robin channeled mana through his arm. Lightning coursed through his mana circuits as it has countless times before, and sparks of electricity danced between his fingers. Raising his arm, he let loose a torrent of lightning at the Deadlord.

At least, that was the plan.

When Robin tried to release his magic, the tightness in his chest increased to a harsh pain, and the lightning fizzled out just before leaving his fingertips.

"What the…?" Robin took a step back and clutched his chest. "What did you do?"

Lyn sadly shook her head. "I did not do anything, but it is what you are doing yourself."

"The hell are you talking about?" Robin growled.

Not answering, Lyn took her sword in both of her hands. Raising it horizontally at shoulder level, she lowered her stance. Then, she vanished, leaving behind nothing but a small ring of dust.

There was no preemptive movement. No tell of her initial attack. Just like on the night of meeting Grima for the first time in Plegia months ago, Robin lost track of his opponent. But, unlike that night, Robin was completely focused and aware of his surroundings, and at the peak of his performance. Yet, he still lost track of Lyn.

And then, the strangest of things happened. His arm started to move on its own in a well practiced manner, drawing his sword and holding it in a reverse grip in his offhand. In the same motion of drawing his sword, he swung his blade upwards. Metal clashed against metal as Robin miraculously met Lyn's blinding strike.

No, not by a miracle. The entire act was like second nature, similar to how muscle memory worked. In fact, that was exactly what it was for Robin. In the very depths of his mind, he knew where Lyn's blade would strike, and he knew the exact timing that was needed in order to parry it effectively, even with a single hand.

Muscle memory that he himself had no memory of, an attack he himself had never seen, and an action that he himself never did, Robin hated all of it. It was too unsettling, and much too convenient.

Turning on his heel, Robin saw Lyn softly land onto the ground roughly fifteen meters from where he was standing. A second after her feet touched the earth beneath, her figure vanished again, once more leaving behind naught but a ring of dust.

Robin teleported upwards immediately, rematerializing just above the treeline. A part of him felt like he could have stayed on the ground and rely on whatever it was that parried Lyn's first blow to handle her second strike, but doing so would be an insult to his pride, and an insult to the countless skirmishes that he had gone through in his life. His eyes scanned the ground beneath him while casting a focused burst of magic at his feet to keep himself suspended up in the air.

" _"When fighting an opponent, don't only focus on strafing left and right; use vertical movement, as most opponents don't think about looking up."_ "

The voice spoke from behind him. His instincts made him to erect a barrier behind him, and before he even had a chance to turn around, a powerful force smashed against his barrier, hurling him towards the ground. He managed to twist his body enough to land on his feet, but his legs buckled from the landing force and he fell to one knee.

With his back creaking, Robin forced himself to his feet. His mind replayed the words that Lyn spoke in their brief time in the air. Her words disturbed him, and it wasn't in the sense that she had time to speak in the middle of combat, nor was it the fact that it was as if she was teaching him a lesson. Rather, it was because those words were familiar. _He_ had said those words before, but he himself never remembered doing so.

In both his original world and this world, he never said it for there was no need to. No one, aside from maybe Morgan, Reina, and Marc, could take to the skies as easily as he does, so there would be no need to tell anyone to use vertical spacing to their advantage. Chrom had that ridiculous, downwards spinning attack that used centrifugal force, but that it was so easily telegraphed that any competent fighter would know to look up, so he couldn't have said it to him. The aerial units of the Shepherds could have benefited from the advice, but spotting a pegasus, wyvern, or a dragon wasn't the most difficult thing to do, so Robin doubted saying it to them.

So, who was it? There was no one that Robin could think of that he told that advice to, yet he could remember saying those words in vivid detail, except for _who_ he said it to. Unless…

"No way…" Robin muttered in disbelief as he thought of a single possibility. "There's no way in…that's impossible…"

Robin told only one person that advice, to incorporate vertical movement into their moveset. No doubt, the person he told would have taken that advice to heart. And those words were repeated by the woman he was currently fighting.

The notion was inconceivable. The stories of Eliwood of Pherae, Hector of Ostia, and Lyndis of Caelin were legends from ages ago. Before the rise of the Halidom of Ylisse a thousand years ago, and before the dozens of nations and kingdoms that rose and fell prior to the founding of Ylisse. And Robin was by no means an immortal. It would be impossible for him to have told Lyn the advice that disturbed him so.

 _ **Heads up.**_

Heeding Alternis's warning, Robin erected a barrier in front of him. His mana pool took a hit when Lyn's sword crashed against his barrier, but that was infinitely more preferable than having a sharp piece of metal run through his body. There was a second swing from the Deadlord, and his barrier shattered into countless crystalline shards before dissipating into a golden light.

His barrier lasted only mere moments against Lyn, but that brief moment of time was enough time for Robin to distance himself from his attacker. His attempt to create space proved to be futile against Lyn's speed as the distance between the two vanished in a second.

To say he was at a disadvantage would be an understatement. It took everything he had to merely deflect Lyn's swings. The only reason why he was able to manage even this much was due to the curious familiarity he felt from her blows. Knowledge that he had that he didn't remember acquiring. In a way, he felt like he was cheating. His eyes would take notice of her stance, her form, her posture, and then his body would react. There would be no thought, only action, as he locked blades with the green haired swordswoman in front of him.

Tired of relying on the mysterious muscle memory, Robin channeled mana into his leg. He stomped on the ground after parrying another swing, creating a wave of energy to lash out around him.

Avoiding Robin's mana burst with a fluid jump backwards, Lyn tossed one of her swords at an incredible speed. Robin leapt to the side in order to avoid getting impaled, and a second later, the thrown sword found itself in the hands of its owner.

"What seems to be the matter?"

Robin leaned backwards, barely dodging Lyn's swing that would have cleaved his head off. While his body was still leaning backwards, Lyn swung down with her second blade. Her second blade sliced through thin air as Robin teleported, giving himself a bit of breathing room.

" _"_ _A warrior should never get lost in their head during combat, especially against a skilled opponent. More often than not, it will cost your life."_ " Lyn quoted. There was a small glint in her eyes as she spoke. "Unless you're purposely taking it easy on me. Don't tell me this is all you can do."

"Speak for yourself. This is nothing compared to the ferocity you had when you fought Nergal," Robin playfully smirked. "You haven't even managed to land a clean hit on me."

He paled. Those words escaped his mouth without him even knowing, and the worst part of it was that it felt natural. Almost as if he was having a small banter with Reina or Chrom. Even Lyn's brows were raised in mild surprise, but her expression vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Pain spiked through Robin's head. It was as if his brain was being torn in two and he fell to his knees, clutching his head in his hands. Images flashed in his mind, from the faces of people he's never met, to scenery of places that he's never been to.

He saw himself sitting around a campfire with a few others, conversing with a two purple haired mages and a young girl with short green hair about the finer points of magic. Next, he was overseeing a spar between two familiar faces. One had blue hair and was swinging around an oversized golden axe, while his sparring partner had red hair, was in light armor, and was wielding a large, double edged sword with a red guard.

Both scenes brought back a sense of nostalgia and camaraderie. Until the last scene appeared in his head. What he saw wasn't anything grandiose, nor was it a scene that would make for a memorable sight for the average person. It was nothing but a large elm tree atop a hill at the center of a vast plain.

He felt a pleasant breeze pass through the area, one that was both comforting and soothing. His view changed, and for a brief moment, he was sitting on the hill, leaning against the tree. Someone was sitting next to him, and he was talking that person. To his vexation, he was unable to see the person that he was talking with, nor could he hear the words he was saying with the exception of a single line, which was said by the person that he was speaking to.

" _I won't say 'Goodbye' because…"_ The person's voice was wavering, as if the speaker was mere moments away from tears. "… _because I know that someday, I will see you again."_

The pain in Robin's head vanished, replaced by dull ache in his chest. He felt as though the scene he just saw, and the voice he just heard, was something that he should know, and should have remembered.

Something rolled down his cheek. It took Robin a second to realize that it was a tear. It took him another second to realize that he was being embraced. Another second passed and he realized that the one embracing him was Lyn.

Part of him wanted to push her away. A small part of him wanted to pierce her heart with a bolt of lightning. But a large portion of his psyche wanted to do nothing but accept her embrace.

Lyn's presence was calming, and filled him with warm memories. Just being around her felt natural, despite her being practically a stranger to him. When she released him, he nearly reached out to her, but he managed to reign in his hand before it moved.

When Lyn picked up her swords from the ground, Robin expected her to get into a combat stance. Instead, she flicked the dirt off her blades and sheathed them. She noticed the perplexed look on Robin's face and gave him a soft smile.

"My intent was never to cause you harm," Lyn said.

A shock ran through Robin's body. Her voice…it was the very voice he heard in the vision.

"While I may be a Deadlord, my memories, thoughts, and will is mine and mine alone," Lyn continued, not having noticed Robin's inner turmoil. "No mad summoner, or god, in this case, will be able to take those away from me."

"If you're intent wasn't to cause me any harm, then why did you attack me?" Robin asked. "Why even come here at all?"

"I merely wished to see - no…to test you," Lyn answered.

"Test me?"

"I…" Lyn sadly shook her head. "It's nothing. Until we meet again, old friend."

A vortex of dark magic enveloped the swordswoman. The vortex vanished with Lyn a second later, leaving behind nothing save for a person lying face down on the soft grass. Robin's blood froze when he recognized the all too familiar robe and the mop of navy blue hair.

"Morgan!"

Robin shot up to his feet. Unfortunately, the sudden momentum caused a wave of dizziness in his head, and he stumbled forward. The dizzy spell intensified and his consciousness faded. He felt himself fall onto the ground, and then nothing.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

There was a strange chill that ran down Grima's back. It wasn't fear. He felt fear only once before, and it was an experience that he would never forget. What was it?

Grima pondered on this as he finished inscribing the last rune needed for the summoning circle on the floor. In the center of the circle was an extravagant hat. Time had eaten away at it, but it still retained some of its vibrant red color in some areas. Next to the hat was a small piece of wood that had twenty sides to it.

"Hey, Porcus."

Grima called the Deadlord without taking his eyes off the summoning circle. The magic started to come to life as the runes let off a blue light.

"Yes?"

The light grew in intensity and the air felt heavy from the amount of magic that was being thrown about.

"You ever get that weird feeling? The one where you want to do a thing, but then there's that feeling that's telling you to NOT do that thing? As if that thing that you're trying to do is not going to be pleasant for you?"

"Instinct?"

"No no no, it's not that." Grima shook his head. "It's…it's something else."

The air started to shake from the magic as the concept of time and space was momentarily forgotten. Mana erupted from the summoning circle and into the air like a geyser, casting a bright blue light over the entire room. The pressure of the magic was so great that the geyser of mana acted like a source of gravity as the air in the room started to get sucked in.

"Perhaps…dread?" Porcus guessed.

Grima froze. Porcus's answer clicked in his head, and Grima regretted this summoning session now more than ever. Unfortunately for him, his mana was already spent, and the summoning was almost complete.

The light from the summon blinked out. It was so sudden and unexpected that it took Grima a second to realize that the summoning ended prematurely. The runed circle was practically gone and was the mana that filled the air was so faint that he was unable to feel it. And in the center of the area that the circle used to occupy was nothing. Nothing except for faint lines on the floor which was the summoning circle. That hat that was required for the summon, however, was gone.

"What. Just. Happened."

He wasn't angry. Nor was he irritated in the slightest. The only thing that Grima felt was utter confusion. Never before had a summoning failed. Not once has an occurrence like this happened. And as such, this was all new territory to him.

"The summoning seems to have failed," Porcus said.

"Don't patronize me, Porcus!" Grima snapped.

Porcus lowered his head and pulled his hood further down, effectively hiding his face. He did so with the intention to hide the teasing grin on his face, and Grima caught onto it. However, he was too focused on the failed summon to care.

"How?! Why?! What went wrong?!"

He thought back on the summoning. His mana was at its peak. The runes were inscribed in the circle and in the proper order. He had the same catalysts as before and placed them in the same positions as he did the first time.

Nothing was out of place. Nothing was missing. So what could have possible caused the summon to fail?

Grima walked up to where he inscribed the summoning circle. He crouched and took a closer look at the barely visible marks on the ground to make sure that the runes were correct.

And then something caught his eye. At the very center of the circle. A small deformity in the ground, only it wasn't a deformity. It was the twenty sided die that was one of the summoning catalysts. And the number that was facing up was the number '6'.

He tossed the die aside. What was it that Ovis said about the numbers on the faces? Something about how the higher the number, the higher the chance of your action succeeding? If that was the case, and if the rolled side actually had an effect on the summon, then that would make sense.

But at the same time, it didn't. Why in blazes would luck have anything to due with a summon? None of the other Deadlords had a gimmick around their summoning, so why would Ovis have one such? Nothing about this made sense, and Grima was finally starting to feel irritated at the situation.

Grima's thoughts were interrupted when a large mass fell down in front of him. Said area so happened to be the table where Grima had placed all of the other catalysts needed to summon the rest of the Deadlords. His eyes caught a flash of red before a plume of dust erupted on the spot, obscuring his vision.

"Fuuuuuuuuuhhh…that really hurt…"

A painful groan was heard from the cloud of dust. Some of the catalysts for the Deadlords were scattered around the floor. There was a peculiar looking stone the color of chalk to his left, a leather tricorne hat with a grey feather attached to the top sitting at the edge of the cloud of dust, and a frozen helmet to his right.

His eye twitched in irritation. Partially because his precious tools were tossed to the ground, and partially because he recognized the voice from within the dust.

"What the hell am I sitting on - that's a huge ass sword. Yup."

With his irritation reaching the level of annoyance, Grima loosed a burst of wind. The dust was scattered in an instant, revealing a man dressed in a red coat sitting down on another one of Grima's catalysts. The hat that vanished earlier was rightly placed on the man's head, and the man let out a yawn. In one hand, he held the last of Grima's catalysts, and in the other, the twenty sided die.

"Heeyy, it's my die!" The man happily laughed and tossed the die in his hands. "Oh man, it's been ages since I last saw this thing. But what the hell is this thing?" The man looked down at the other catalyst in confusion.

"Porcus." Grima looked over his shoulder and at the Deadlord.

"Si."

" _All_ of the headaches," Grima reminded him, stressing the word ' _all'_.

"Hey hey, is this thing yours?" The man asked, casually tossing the catalyst in his hand.

Grima glared at him. The regret that he experienced earlier was at an all time high, and he wondered why he even thought of summoning this man in front of him for the second time. In his eyes, this man was quite possibly the worst person to don the name of the Deadlord Ovis.

"Yes, that 'thing' does belong to me," Grima answered, barely managing to keep his voice level. "It is a piece of - "

Before Grima could say anything else, Ovis tossed the 'thing' at Grima's chest, where it simply fell to the floor.

"Why."

"I thought you would catch it," Ovis shrugged. "Not my fault you have a really bad reaction time."

Anger swelled in Grima's chest. Mana coursed through his veins and leaked out of his body, creating a vortex of dark energy around him.

"Uh oh, big man's mad!" Ovis scrambled to his feet.

Grima didn't know why, but everything Ovis said or did got on his nerves. In this case, it was both, as he had an improper summon, scattered the catalysts around the floor, threw one of the catalysts at his chest, and always had a snarky comment at the ready.

The vortex grew stronger, and for the first time ever, Grima was about to kill one of his Deadlords within a minute of their summoning. Today was a first for a few things, but this one took the top.

Then, as if it never existed, the vortex and Grima's anger vanished. The cause for this was due to the fact that the summoning circle was glowing once more.

"What the - oh, gods damn it…" Grima grumbled.

He had forgotten that as tedious it was to set up a summoning circle, it was the exact opposite to start the summon itself. All that was required was a catalyst to be placed in the center of the circle and even an ounce of mana would suffice to start the summon. The amount and strength of the mana would be the deciding factor in that gets summoned.

Grima was standing in the middle of the circle.  
The catalyst that Ovis threw was sitting at Grima's feet, also in the center of the circle.  
Grima's vortex was crafted out of pure mana.  
His vortex started another summon that he didn't plan for.

Making a mental note to deal with Ovis at a later time, Grima retreated from the circle. Just like before, the light from the summoning circle swallowed the catalyst, and a large portion of Grima's mana was sapped by the summoning. Mana shot out of the ground once more, and despite his misfortune with Ovis earlier, Grima couldn't help but smile.

The catalyst used for this summon was a block of wood. The block originated from a table where the greatest knights of a different world once gathered under a single banner. In the previous world, this catalyst had summoned one of the members who sat at the table, who so happened to be the king. This king became Deadlord Bovis after the first summon, and Grima looked forward to meeting him again.

The light from the summoning started to fade. A powerful presence appeared from within the light, and Grima's smile grew wider. It was a familiar presence, as Bovis also exuded power. Before the rest of the mana vanished, a figure dressed in a full set of metal armor proudly strode out from the pillar of light.

"Saber, Bovis, answering your summon."

 _Wait, what?_ His smile dropped in an instant.

Grima was confused. This Bovis was different from the previous one. The armor looked similar, but distinctly different. The previous Bovis's armor was sleeker with royal blue accents. He also had a helmet that resembled a lion and sported a white cape lined with fur.

This Bovis had bulkier armor and a full helmet that looked a little demonic due to the curved horns on the sides. Instead of having blue as the secondary color, this Bovis featured the color red.

The aura surrounding them was different as well. While the previous Bovis radiated wisps of golden energy, this Bovis had sparks of red electricity popping to life around his body.

"Is my father here?" Bovis continued, either unaware or not caring about Grima's confusion.

To which he replied, "Who in the world is your father, and more importantly, who in blazes are you?"

"What are you talking about?" Bovis asked. "You called for me specifically, and so I answered. Why are you asking who I am?"

"Well, I know you're one of my Deadlords, Bovis, to be precise," Grima said. He noticed that Bovis's voice was a little higher pitched than he expected, but then again, there was Excellus. Grima pushed the thought aside. "But the catalyst that was used was a piece of the Round Table, and last time, I got someone else."

Bovis's mood darkened. That much was obvious even under the helmet.

"Tch." Bovis clicked his tongue in displeasure. "To think that I was summoned by that thing. How infuriating. In any case, I might as well tell you who I am."

There was a metallic click from Bovis's helmet. Splitting itself vertically down the middle, the helmet folded in on itself and settled in the grooves of the armor around the collarbone. But that wasn't the intricate design of the armor that caught Grima's attention; rather, it was the face underneath.

Unruly golden hair tied into a short ponytail by a red string. Sharp, green eyes that stared into Grima's dull red eyes. A confident smile that had a hint of arrogance. And a slender face that matched the feminine sounding voice.

"I am Mordred. Knight of the Round Table, rightful heir to the throne, and the son of King Arthur."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 **Happy New Years to all.  
My new years resolution? I'll do by best and pump out more chapters frequently.**

 **And I know, it's been some three-ish months since the last chapter. Insert overused reason for lateness here. I wasn't completely gone from the site. My other FE stories are proof of that. Not gonna lie, I felt a little burnt out on AA, so I've been writing other things to work around that.**

 **And as I'm sure you all know this by now, but from here on, it'll be talking about the chapter and replying to reviews.**

 **If you're wondering why Joshua knew how to break the magic ward that trapped Lucina and co? He fought a literal demon lord. He's bound to know** _ **some**_ **things, especially after travelling around with people like L'Arachel and Lute. That's my headcanon, at least.**

 **What's the deal with Robin and Lyn? Seriously, if you haven't figured this out yet, I don't know what to say. There's little else I can do to not-so-subtly hint at it without outright saying it.**

 **Three more Deadlords make their debut in this chapter. I only had one of their true names be revealed, but I couldn't make Porcus any more obvious. Ovis? I highly doubt anyone will know who he is.**

 **As for Draco/Slyvanas and her 'regression', that's not me making her a child or anything. This idea stemmed from the game, Fate Grand Order, where there was a version of a popular character called Artoria Lily. Lily was a term used to describe a character's past self/younger self. In the case of Artoria, Artoria Lily is a version before Artoria was elected king and fought numerous wars.**

 **This is what is kind of going on with Sylvanas. This isn't Sylvanas in her Banshee Queen / Warchief / Queen of the Forsaken form. This is her before she was killed and resurrected by Arthas, but she still retains the memories of everything else. She's still the queen, though. No way in hell am I taking that away from her.  
Note: The last time I played WoW was at a month after Cataclysm. So it's been years since I touched the game, so this makes it easier for me to characterize her better since I don't know how much she's changed since then.**

 **Maybe I'll do this Lily thing for Arthas as well? So that he's Arthas during the beginning of Warcraft 3 and not the Lich King? Who knows.**

 **And for those of you who are familiar with the Fate series, you might be wondering why I picked Mordred to be Bovis instead of Artoria? Two simple reasons. One, I don't have Artoria in FGO but I do have Mordred. Two (the main reason), her voice actor is Sawashiro Miyuki, who is my favorite voice actress.**

 **Fun/Nerd fact about Sawashiro Miyuki: She's the voice actor for f!Robin, f!Morgan, and Camilla in Awakening and Fates respectively, and is also the voice of Aranea Highwind from FFXV.**

 **Also, I'm really liking Grima over all the other characters. Dunno why.**

* * *

 **Review reply area:**

 **\- Ronald103: Wow, could use some commas in there. || And thanks for the support. I'm working on the update frequencies. Trying, at least.**

 **\- Godzilla12343: Answer given. Hope it's to your satisfaction.**

 **\- N-Lorin: I feel as though it's a game at this point. I do my best to find and fix all the errors in my multiple re-reads of the chapter, and you do your best and pick out any error that I overlooked. :) || Also, the line that Equus/Achilles said to Lucina was a line that I 'stole' from Troy, nearly word for word. I was going to change it, but figured I would leave it as is.**

 **\- ILiekFishes: I think I addressed that topic in one of my previous . To recap, I feel as though there are stories better than** _ **AA**_ **, so if anything, they should get the animation treatment first.**

 **\- Antex: Aranea's line was nothing more than me referencing a scene from FFXV, where she says that exact line to Noctis. Since both Noctis and Chrom are princes that are becoming kings, I thought it suited the situation.**

 **\- Ghost Artemis: Robin and Reina are nowhere near the [Limit Break] stats as of now. || And nope.**

 **And done! Thank you for reading, and I'll see you all in the next update that may or may not take some time.**

* * *

 **One more thing for those of you that read this far. I am proud to say that** _ **Fire Emblem: Another Awakening**_ **is now a year old.**

 **First off, I'd like to thank all of you once more for continuously supporting me throughout the year, and I hope that the rest this story will be deserving of your support.**

 **Second, that's at least 300 of you that like this story. Either I'm somehow a fantastically amazing writer, or you are 300+ fools that like this story for some godforsaken reason. Or both xD**

 **Seriously though, thank you all once again for the support.**


	32. (XXXI) Shadow of Intent

_**" _I'll do my_ best and pump out more chapters frequently."  
\- Excerpt from [Fire Emblem: Another Awakening] by NumberCDLI. Written as a New Year's Resolution on the third day of January in the year 2018.**_

 _ **So much for that, huh? My apologies.**_

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 ** _. . ._**

"The son of King Arthur?" Grima raised an eyebrow as he stared at Bovis. "Curious. I summoned King Arthur the first time, and I summon you this time around. Never thought that would occur, but I suppose stranger things have happened."

"You previously summoned my father? What do you mean by that?" Bovis questioned.

"I mean exactly what I said. This is my second time summoning all the Deadlords, minus four. Aside from you, every one of them have been the same. Anguilla is still Aranea, Simia is still Lyndis, Draco is Sylvanas, and so on and so forth. Going by that, I had expected Arthur to come a second time, but clearly I was wrong. Just need to compensate for the unexpected change."

Bovis tightened her grip on her sword. The action was not missed by Porcus and he narrowed his eyes in warning. He doubted it'd get through to Bovis however. In the time that she'd been summoned, which was less than a minute, his opinion on her was already one of a brash child who had something to prove.

"Are you saying that I'm not good enough?" Bovis growled threateningly.

"Hardly. I just didn't expect the _son_ of the famed King Arthur to be a woman - "

There was a flash of red light, the crack of thunder, and Bovis' sword was now resting underneath Grima's chin.

 _'It would seem that I was correct,'_ Porcus thought to himself. He was about to intervene but felt Grima's will pull him back. He released the tension in his hand, and the hidden blade on his wrist retracted into its cover.

"Don't ever call me that," Bovis seethed, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

"Oh? Pray tell, what would happen if I chose not to listen?" Grima smirked. "What could you possibly do to me?"

A red light started to flow up the length of Bovis's blade, a light which Porcus soon realized to be something akin to mana. Just from a glance, he could tell it was potent and powerful, but the grin on his lord's face only grew wider. The look that Grima held was that of a child looking at a new toy.

"I've slain dragons before. I'll have no problem doing so again," Bovis warned.

"Ah, yes. Dragon slaying. Knighthood's highest calling. I'm well aware of what you and the other knights did; your father told me about it quite some time ago. However, you forget one crucial detail about me." Grima reached up and grabbed onto Bovis's blade. "I am no mere dragon. I am a _dragon god_!"

Mana flared around Grima momentarily and purple spikes shot out of the ground at his feet. Red lightning crackled on Bovis' heels, and she leapt back to avoid the spikes that were only a second away from impaling her. The second she landed, a magic circle appeared on the ground, rooting her to the spot.

"What the - " Bovis struggled to move from her invisible bindings. "You bastard… What did you do to me!"

"Nothing really." Grima shrugged and approached Bovis. "You didn't really think that I would summon some of the most powerful beings from multiple worlds without a way to stop them from running amok, did you? What kind of fool do you take me for?"

Black chains sprung out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Bovis' limbs. A second later, they sank back into the ground, forcing the Deadlord onto her knees as Grima calmly walked up to her.

"Sturdy little things, aren't they?" Grima conversationally said, flicking the chain that bound her left arm at the wrist. Wisps of smoke appeared from the flicked link. "Chains created from my own energy, making them nigh unbreakable. And since I'm the one that summoned you, these chains have a nullifying effect of sorts on the strength of Deadlords. Also, before you even try, you won't be able to break these chains. The only thing capable of even having the chance of breaking these would be a certain annoying sword, which so happens to _not_ be in your possession. Said annoying sword also happens to be the only thing that can inflict harm upon me, but even that won't be able to kill me. The best it can do is seal me away for another thousand years or so, in which I'll come back with a greater grudge against said annoying sword.

"But, enough of me stroking my own ego. Are you not the child of King Arthur, Mordred? Rhetorical question, don't answer that." Grima dismissively waved his hand before she even had the chance to speak. "I've seen many kingdoms rise and fall while I was sealed away, and even more kings come and go. With the knowledge of watching over a thousand years' worth of reigns, I can confidently say that you, Mordred Pendragon, are not fit to be a king."

"Shots fired," Ovis quietly laughed under his breath.

It was plain as day that Grima's words hit Bovis hard. Red lightning crackled to life around her body, her shoulders trembled in rage, and if looks could kill, Grima had no doubt that his very essence would've been withered away by her murderous glare.

"A kingdom under your rule would fall within a year's time, maybe a few years depending on one or two select circumstances," Grima continued, ignoring Bovis' increasing rage. "You act like a child - undisciplined, naive, and rash."

Porcus nodded in agreement from the shadows. His lord's thoughts on the newest Deadlord were the exact same as his own.

"But, those are traits that I don't necessarily dislike."

A perplexed eyebrow was raised, but Porcus kept his silence.

Rising to his feet, Grima snapped his fingers and the chains dissipated into black smoke. The runic circle flashed once before vanishing and Bovis regained control of her limbs. Her first thought was to gut Grima right then and there, but her curiosity stayed her hand as Grima began to speak once more.

"I have a job for you, just as I have a job for all the other Deadlords. And just like all the other, you get near free reign in however way you wish to accomplish said job. Interested?"

Silence fell upon the room. Time slowly trickled by as seconds turned into a minute before Bovis finally answered.

"Tch, fine. I'll play along for now, but get this." She took a step forward and raised her sword at Grima once more. "Insult my knighthood or my father again and I'll sever your head from your shoulders. Got it?"

"Duly noted," Grima smirked. "I'd much rather be on pleasant terms with my Deadlords. Makes it a lot more comfortable in the long run since we'll be working together for an unknown amount of time. Now, go along, and I'll give you the details in a bit."

Bovis lowered her sword and started to dissipate into wisps of blue light, unlike the other Deadlords where they would literally vanish into the shadows. The moment she was gone, Grima flicked his wrist and two items appeared in his hands. With a tired sigh, he walked over to the table that was broken from Ovis' summoning.

Porcus couldn't stop the amused grin that formed on his face when the Fell Dragon started to sweep up bit of dirt and debris with a broom and dustpan.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

A groan escaped Robin's lips as his consciousness slowly returned. His vision was blurry at first, but a few rapid blinks remedied that. Judging from his current posture, he must've fallen asleep on his desk inside his tent, and his back and neck would most likely be sore from falling asleep in a chair.

Outside of his tent were the usual sounds of camp - voices of his friends as they bustled about, the sharp clash of metal against metal from sparring matches, the hearty laughter from the more boisterous members of the group, and the mouthwatering aroma of food that was being cooked. His stomach growled from hunger, and Robin got up from his chair.

Now that he was up on his feet, he was able to take a good look at his desk. A small smile formed on his face as he looked down at the table's surface. Should any other soul look at it, they would call it a chaotic mess. But to Robin, the mess was nothing more than an organized chaos. A dozen books were lying about on his table, each of them open with his penmanship visible on the pages. There were enough papers scattered around that it was impossible to see the mahogany wood underneath, and there was a large cup that was still a quarter full of cold, stale coffee. And Robin wouldn't have it any other way. His desk, of course. Not the coffee. Stale coffee was disgusting.

Just as he grabbed the cup, his tent flap opened and a man with sand colored hair poked his head in.

"Sain?" Robin raised an eyebrow. It wasn't everyday that the knight came looking for him. He'd much rather be talking with the ladies of the group whenever the opportunity presented itself. "Is something wrong?"

Sain shook his head. "Nah, just here to tell you that food's ready."

"Kent?"

There was a pause.

"…Lyndis," Sain finally said as he sheepishly scratched his chin.

"Ah. Gotcha."

Robin couldn't blame the man for his slightly abashed attitude. After all, it was only the other day that he was literally pummeled into the ground by Lyn during a spar. Did Robin have anything to do with the match such as poking Lyn's buttons just prior to enrage her to the point that she mercilessly attacked Sain? Of course not. Why would anyone ever think that?

Stepping out of his tent, Robin gulped down the last of the coffee with a grimace and took a look around at his surroundings. Over a dozen tents were set up around him and a large bonfire was in the center of the camp. A few people were already seated on chopped logs around the fire. One of them happened to look his way and gave a small wave, causing the rest of the seated members to turn their heads.

"Well, look who's finally up!"

"Damn it! And I was just about to send Florina to check up on him."

"And how would you manage that? You'd be lucky if the girl manages to remain still in front of you for more than five seconds."

"I'll manage. Just gotta speak quickly."

"You have a death wish, don't you? The two of them may be close, but Florina is still deathly terrified of men, and you know exactly how protective Lyn gets with the girl."

"Ha! Trust me, Matthew knows that first hand when he accidentally walked in on the girl as she was changing."

"That was one time!"

"Which was more than enough for you to receive Lyn's wrath after Florina's scream woke up the entire camp. I don't think anyone else got beat that badly. Not even Sain."

"Indeed." Robin walked over and placed a hand on Wil's shoulder. "Hell hath no fury like a protective Lyn."

"Like you would know firsthand how terrifying she can be," Guy scoffed, shaking his head. He took a seat down beside Matthew and accusingly pointed a spoon at Robin. "She's never gotten mad at you."

"That's because I was never dumb enough to anger her," Robin countered, purposely leaving out the time he made Lyn beat Sain. "Anyway, who's on food duty tonight?"

Matthew raised his bowl in Robin's direction, revealing the cream colored soup. Small chunks of meat and vegetables were floating around the top with a slice of bread.

"Oh damn, isn't that Natalie's soup? That means Dorcas is the cook tonight!" Robin clapped his shoulders down on Wil's shoulders once more before leaving. "Let me get something to eat before it's all gone and I'll join you guys."

"Get me another bowl of soup!" Matthew yelled as Robin walked away.

Waving a hand over his shoulder in acknowledgement, Robin made his way to the main tent where the aromatic smell of food was coming from. When he was about halfway towards the tent, a powerful hand smacked him on his back, right between the shoulder blades, eliciting a groan of pain from Robin. The hand then moved to his shoulder as a well muscled arm wrapped itself around his neck. Judging from the amount of sweat that was on the arm and the strength behind the greeting, Robin took a guess as to who it was.

"Hector…"

"Finally out of your hole, are you? Didn't think I'd see you tonight!" Hector barked.

"You're in an awfully good mood," Robin noted. "More so than usual."

"Am I?" A goofy grin was plastered on Hector's face as he walked alongside Robin. "I don't feel much different."

Knowing full well that he wouldn't get a straight answer from Hector, Robin looked over his shoulder at the person who he knew would be nearby.

"Eliwood? If you would be inclined?"

Robin raised an eyebrow at the young lord, who was wiping the sweat off his brow with a small towel. Chuckling while shaking his head, Eliwood folded the towel once before draping it over his arm.

"Hector won our spar just now," Eliwood said with a polite smile.

"Which means I'm in the lead! Twenty three to twenty two!" Hector bragged, rattling Robin's shoulder.

Robin exasperatedly shook his head. "I'm impressed that the two of you are still keeping that up."

"That's all the more reason to do so," Eliwood said. "Our spars have been something that Hector and I have been doing for some time now, so it would be all the more strange to stop. It is…difficult to explain, but it is something that gives us a bit of comfort in this time of hardship."

"I understand." Robin nodded. "We can all do with some comfort."

"Bah! Stop being so serious, the both of you!" Hector scoffed, pushing aside the entrance to the main tent. "Lighten up! Eat!"

Any reply that Robin had in mind vanished the second he stepped foot in the tent. The reason why was because everything around him froze. Hector was stuck in mid-laughter, Eliwood was frozen while with his hand raised in a form of greeting, the fabric of the tent's opening hung in midair, and everyone that was already inside the tent was frozen. Color was drained from the area, creating a world of grey, and all sound was muted.

 _ **" _Y_ ou shouldn't be here."**_

He whirled around. The voice seemed to originate from everywhere and his eyes darted around the area in search of the voice.

 _ **"At least, not yet."**_

Robin suddenly sank through the floor and there was nothing but darkness.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

Robin's eyes snapped open and he bolted upwards into a sitting position.

"What the… What was…" Robin whispered to no one. He grasped the side of his head and took in a deep breath. He thought back on his dream and was shocked to find that he couldn't remember it. It was nothing but a blank slate of a memory. "Huh, amnesiac to the bone, it seems."

He felt a small tug on his blanket. A hooded figure had fallen asleep while sitting next to his bed. One arm was holding onto the edges of Robin's blanket while the other was being used as a pillow for their head. Judging from the familiar looking design on the cloak and a few stray strands of blue hair sticking out, Robin could take a guess as to who it was.

"Careful there, Bubbles. Blue Junior finally fell asleep after hours of being awake, so I'd let her be."

Robin turned his head and raised an eyebrow at Gaius. "Blue Junior?"

"Yup." Gaius was sitting up in a nearby bed while twirling a stick of candy in his fingers. "Chrom is Blue, Lucina is Blue Junior."

"Makes sense…" Robin muttered, looking down at Lucina, whom he originally thought to be Morgan. The thought of Lucina falling asleep by his bed in the infirmary never occurred to him, and it was a pleasant surprise. "If Lucina is Blue Junior, then what name do you have for Severa? Or Cordelia, for that matter?"

"Red and Red Junior."

"Should've figured. Though, I thought you'd call Sully 'Red', not Cordelia."

"I'll give Sully a nickname when I want my skull bashed in from that demon horse tamer."

Robin chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"My noble thief, I must raise an argument with you. All ladies are fine flowers, each deserving a name that is equally beautiful as themselves. I am afraid that 'Red' is unsuited for a fine woman such as our Lady Cordelia."

"Which is why you called every single one of those nurses the same name the other night, right?" Gaius threw a smirk over at Virion. "I think I heard you say _'graceful lily'_ and _'budding rose'_ at least a dozen times each. And none of them kept the conversation going for longer than a minute."

"Twas nothing more than having the wrong name," Virion said. "As each one is deserving of a unique name, finding the correct one is the challenge that is making a fair maiden's heart aflutter."

"I'm sure." Robin rolled his eyes.

"Ah, you only say that because you need not worry about the difficulties of landing a woman's heart," Virion knowingly smiled. His eyes glanced at Lucina for a moment, which was an action that Robin missed.

"I don't know about that. I think I'm a pretty boring person myself. I don't think there's anything too special about me aside from this mass of muscle in my head," Robin said, tapping the side of his skull.

"And his humility shows once more!" Virion exclaimed. "The very thing that draws the attraction of both men and women alike!"

Robin's brow furrowed. "You… You're not coming onto me…are you? I don't swing that way."

The duke's expression was priceless. He sputtered nonsense for a couple seconds as he attempted to form words in his mouth, much to Gaius and Robin's amusement.

"So." Robin leaned forward and raised three fingers. "Three questions that are on my mind. One, where are we, two, what brings you to this place that seems to be an infirmary, and three, how long have I been out?"

"How's I answer the last one first and then the first two together?" Gaius offered. "You've been out for less than you'd think; only a day. As to where this is and why Dukes and I are here with you? You know how Dukes and I were part of the Rosanne Castle infiltration team along with Blue, Snowflake, Princess, and Owain? I don't have a name for the kid yet, but it'll come soon enough. Anyhoo, we took the castle easily enough, but that woman at the end that completely screwed us over."

"Woman?"

"Yup. Introduced herself as Deadlord Aranea. Or was it Anguilla? It was one of those. Either way, she kicked all our asses, not to mention she had a really nice one. As in, _real_ nice." The thief wagged his eyebrows before continuing, "From what Snowflake said, after she knocked out me and the kid, she easily took down Dukes, Princess, Blue, and then Snowflake herself in that order." Gaius leaned backwards against the wall and placed his hands behind his head. "I dunno about you, but I'm feeling pretty damn annoyed at how we weren't even a threat to a single Deadlord. Hell, the kid is still out of it in Princess' room. Last I heard, he's been recovering from a fractured wrist, dislocated shoulder, and a few ruptured organs. All from a single hit that he blocked. Friggin' insane, if you ask me."

Robin frowned. A Deadlord that met with Reina's group at the same time that Lyn and Ruby met his? There was no way that it was mere coincidence. It was too coordinated - too convenient that no one died during both encounters with the Deadlords, or any meeting with them.

He thought back to his talk with Grima. Grima himself confirmed that he aided the Shepherds three times, so maybe he was pulling the strings again here. It would make sense, given his personality. But to what end? Why would he leave the Shepherds alive time and time again when he could've easily wiped out all the Shepherds with only one or two Deadlords? And how was he helping the Shepherds by having them fight the Deadlords?

"Oi, Bubbles!"

"Wh-What?" Robin jerked about as he was brought back to reality.

"You okay there?" Gaius worriedly asked. "Kinda blacked out for a bit."

"Yeah, I'm…I'm fine," Robin muttered.

Gaius frowned. "Sure as hell don't seem fine to me, but hey, you know your body best. Anyhoo, as I was saying before you went all absent minded on me, what happened to you? I don't think a mere group of mercenaries would have been able to get the jump on you to knock you out."

"The others from my group didn't tell you?" Robin raised an eyebrow. He had expected Lucina or Libra to report what happened at the shrine.

"Nope. Well, I'm sure someone told Blue what happened, and I can draw a gist of what happened from what I've heard from the talk going around. But, none of that explains how you and your daughter were carted back here with that red haired mercenary."

A shock ran through Robin. He'd completely forgotten that Morgan also fell unconscious and reprimanded himself for forgetting about the well being of his own daughter.

"Morgan! Where is she? Is she alright?"

"Woah woah, easy there, Bubbles," Gaius calmly said, placating the tactician. "Your kid's perfectly fine. She's been clinging to Blue Junior for…" He looked over Virion. "...pretty sure for most of her time awake?"

Virion nodded his head and Robin let out a sigh of relief. "Where is she now?"

"Dunno. Maybe getting food?" Gaius guessed. "She left not too long ago after Blue Junior fell asleep. Neither of them refused to leave your side for the longest time. Stumbles and Red had to practically drag the little one out of the tent for lunch."

"Ah yes, it is about that time now, is it not?" Virion chuckled. "The sun is high in the sky and our companions must be getting hungry at this hour. Might I suggest we join them? Lady Maribelle did say we could leave whenever we wish."

"Sounds good to me," Gaius said, getting out of his cot. "Bubbles, you coming?"

Robin was about throw off his blanket when Lucina mumbled in her sleep. Her grip tightened on the covers, preventing him from removing the blanket off his legs.

"I uhh…I'll join you two in a bit." Robin gave Virion and Gaius an apologetic smile.

A devilish smirk formed on Gaius's lips. "Don't have too much fun," he said, wagging his eyebrows.

The discharged Shepherds left the room and closed the door behind them, leaving Robin alone in the infirmary with a sleeping Lucina. The door then suddenly opened and Gaius poked his head back in.

"Just thought I'd let you know - Snowflake, the Khans, and Blue have been in over their heads during the strategy meetings. Oh, and that Chon'sin princess. I think they'd appreciate your help when you get the chance. Room 9S. You'll find them there."

Before Robin even had the chance to reply, Gaius closed the door once more.

Quietly sighing, Robin looked down. Her shoulders steadily rose and fell as she continued to sleep, which reminded Robin of the last meeting he had with the young Lucina back in his world. Only that Lucina was much younger and praying for the safety of her parents, one of whom would never come home again in that world.

"You've grown a lot, Lucina," Robin whispered.

Managing to worn his way out from under the covers, he finally rose to his feet. He walked to the other side of the bed and draped the covers over Lucina's shoulders. He thought about lifting her and placing her on the bed, but quickly reconsidered since she wasn't too heavy of a sleeper. It actually surprised him that Lucina was still asleep even after the racket that he, Virion, and Gaius made.

 _'Perhaps what Chrom said was right when he said that I have a calming air? Though, I doubt that'd do anything if I'm the one that's not conscious.'_

After making sure that the blanket wouldn't easily fall off Lucina's shoulders, he left the infirmary and stepped into a long hallway. Dozens of portraits lined the walls, most likely the previous dukes of Rosanne or people of renown, and a purple carpet ran along the floor.

 _'Now then… Where in blazes am I?'_

The thought of him not knowing the layout of Rosanne's castle only now occurred to Robin. With a shrug, he started to walk down the hall.

"Guess I'll have to figure this place out on my own," Robin mumbled. "I've walked around Ylisse's castle enough times. I think I've got this."

Robin did not have it. Over half an hour later, he was still wandering the halls of Castle Rosanne in a vain attempt to find anything. The servants of the castle weren't of much help either, as they merely pointed down a hallway while telling him some vague directions on how to get to the war room where the other army leaders were gathered. Currently, he was briskly walking down the twenty eighth corridor of doors while eyeing the designated room numbers plastered next to each door.

"9S…9S…no, that's 4N. Makes sense, since this place is quite _foreign_ to me… Great, now I'm talking to myself and cracking stupid puns," Robin frowned as he turned another corner. "Maybe here…? Nope, that's - how in the multi-worlds did I go from 7R to 4N to 2B? Who designed this place?!"

* * *

 _~ In another world, back in Plegia's capital city… ~_

* * *

A chill ran down the strategist's back.

"Something wrong?"

The strategist was silent for a few seconds as he tried to figure out what that chill was about. It was strange. He felt a weird sense of deja vu, but it wasn't from him walking with the woman next to him, nor was it from the surrounding scenery.

"It's nothing…" he finally said. "Just felt a little unnerved for a second there."

"Maybe there's someone talking about you?" the woman guessed. "At least, that's what I was told in Ylisse…but only when you sneeze, and not…that…" the woman sheepishly trailed off.

"…Mm...maybe. Either way, I don't think it's anything too important." He shrugged and gave a small smile at the woman. "Let's hurry, else we'll miss Mustafa and Orton's peach contest."

With a bright nod, Sumia and Robin ran through the lively streets of Plegia's capital. The Harvest Festival was finally upon them, and they had every intention on enjoying it to the fullest.

* * *

 _~ Back in Another Awakening, exactly eight minutes after Robin's outburst…~_

* * *

Fortunately, and much to his relief, Robin finally found room 9S. Unfortunately, he was able to tell that things weren't going well before he even opened the door. Normally, there'd be not-so-subtle bickering between all the leaders of the armies, but this time, it was completely silent. He knocked on the room's door and entered.

"Robin, good of you to join us."

"Aye, perhaps he has to insight to get us out of this situation that we find ourselves in."

"Situation?" Robin raised an eyebrow as he closed the door behind him.

"A pretty messy one, I'm afraid," Chrom answered, looking at Robin with a hint of hope in his eyes.

No one in the room looked particularly happy. Reina was rubbing her temples from stress. Princess Say'ri was standing with her arms crossed and eyes closed. Khans Basilio and Flavia were staring silently at the large map that was spread out on the large table in the middle of the room. Virion was pouring tea into cups for everyone in the room, which Robin found to be a tad bit surprising. He would've expected the duke to be resting a little longer, even if he was discharged earlier.

"Yen'fay's army is on the approach, as I'm sure you're well aware." Reina pointed at a red flag on the map. "At their current speed, they'll reach Rosanne mid-noon three days from now. His army numbers at two hundred thousand."

"That's almost the size of the entire Ylissean League," Robin noted, and Reina grimly nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. Fortunately for us, his army is mostly composed of infantry with only a small minority of them being cavalry and archers. Since the warriors of Chon'sin pride themselves on combat and swordplay, we won't have to worry about magic users at all."

"I'm sensing a 'but' here…"

"Unfortunately - "

"And there it is."

Reina's eyes flashed dangerously towards Robin before she continued. "Unfortunately for us, Pheros is also on the move to join Yen'fay." She pointed at a second red flag that was not far behind the first. "If this happens, their combined force will be just shy of five hundred thousand, doubling our number. Not only that, with Pheros' army consisting of mostly mages, she'll even out the lack of mages in Yen'fay's army."

The room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Robin cursed under his breath as he placed his hands on the corner of the table. His eyes scanned the map, taking every single detail into account, from the topography of the land, to the distance between each segmented army, and the number of soldiers in each army.

"Even if we do manage to defeat Yen'fay, Pheros will be right behind him," Robin mumbled to himself. "After her, it'd be Cervantes and Walhart on the following day. Three days of continuous fighting against armies of over two hundred thousand each, not to mention each general and Walhart himself..." He looked up at Reina. "Has there been any sightings on the whereabouts of Excellus?"

Reina grimly shook her head. "Nothing. I'm guessing he's been holed up in Valm Castle for the entire time. I don't even think he's gone out to blackmail his so-called "allies."" Reina made air quotes with her fingers to emphasize her point. "If so, then that could greatly work in our favor."

"Blackmail?" Chrom asked.

"Yeah, blackmail." Reina crossed her arms. "That's what he did back in my world, and I'm sure in Robin's. During our attack on Fort Steiger, we were supposed to have the backup of Princess Say'ri's Resistance, but they ended up betraying us and stabbing us in the back. We suffered grave losses that day, barely scraping through the battle because Henry brought down half the fort on both him and Pheros."

"Impossible!" Say'ri slammed her hand onto the table. "You accuse my Resistance of being turncoats?!"

Reina raised her hands in a placating gesture. "Please let me finish before you assume anything, Princess Say'ri. I am not saying that your Resistance are traitors, but they were forced by Excellus."

"If I may, I take it that this is related to this blackmail that you spoke of?" Virion asked, and Reina nodded.

"After Pheros's death at the cost of Henry's life, the remainder of the Resistance started to flee. We managed to capture a few for interrogation." Her gaze shifted over to Say'ri. "You were furious on that night. I remember hearing your voice for _hours_ on end. I had no idea what you were saying because you were speaking in your native tongue, but we were all able to take a guess as to what you were saying. When it was all over, you told us that Excellus had the families of the Resistance as a hostage. It was our life or theirs at that point."

"Hostages. A coward's play," Basilio said in disdain. "He should grow some damned balls and stop using such underhanded methods."

"Agreed, but that brings us to our next point."

"Him not having any balls?" Flavia asked.

Everyone in the room couldn't help but crack a smile.

"No, not that, though that might actually be true in the literal sense," Reina said as her grin faded. "It's the reason why Yen'fay sided with Walhart. It's why he is fighting against his sister, despite his own wishes. Excellus has bargained Yen'fay's loyalty to Walhart for your life and safety, Princess Say'ri."

It took a moment for Reina's words to sink in. When they did, Say'ri took a step backwards and her pupils noticeably dilated, shaken from what she just heard. "N-No, you lie! There's… That… That cannot be true!"

"Princess Say'ri, I understand how you feel, but - "

"Fie, tactician!" Say'ri furiously shook her head, cutting Reina off. "You do not - _cannot_ understand! That man did nothing but idly stand by as our people were slaughtered! That man watched in silence as the villages and towns of Chon'sin were razed and burnt to nothing! He who I once called my elder brother, he who once held the might of Chon'sin upon his shoulder, he who could have pushed back the conqueror's forces with his personal guard - THAT man let our home be reduced to ash!"

A stunned silence fell upon the rest of the Shepherds. Say'ri's grief and anguish caught them all off guard, and her outburst sealed their mouths shut. Her eyes glistened as tears threatened to form.

"He watched as our mother and father were executed before my eyes, and he said NOTHING! There was not even a single trace of emotion on his face as he watched their heads roll to the floor! And here you tell me that he _bargained_ for _my_ life?! You jest, tactician!"

Without another word, Say'ri turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

"Princess Say'ri, wait!"

Chrom called out but to no avail. The door slammed shut, rattling the chandelier above them and knocking over a few war pieces on the table map.

"If you're thinking about going after her, then don't, Chrom," Robin said, picking up the fallen pieces. "She just had her world forcibly turned upside down in the span of a couple seconds. Give her some time before doing anything."

"…Alright," Chrom sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked back at the map. "With all of this in mind, what do you propose we do?"

"First of all, we need to figure out a way to contact Yen'fay and try and get him on our side," Reina said. "Preferably, _before_ we go to war with his army, and before Pheros gets a chance to join Yen'fay. If we run into each army one at a time, we may have a chance. If we end up fighting any two of the four armies at once, then I can't see us coming out alive."

"Worst case scenario would be if Yen'fay decides to wait for Pheros to catch up to his since she's only a day behind in the march," Robin pointed out. "Walhart and Cervantes are only a few days away and they're approaching from the north and the northwest."

"And what if they decide to wait?" Basilio asked. "Let's say all four armies decide to wait til they're all ready and launch a combined attack on us on the same day? We won't stand a rat's chance!"

Robin bit his lip. What Basilio said was very much a possibility. Even if they were to be put under siege in Rosanne, they wouldn't be able to hold out forever. Rosanne's fields were lush and the harvests were bountiful no matter the season, but it wouldn't be able to feed both the people of Rosanne and the members of the Ylissean League. There was also the fact that Walhart would just break through the walls with brute force.

 _"Sounds fun! Can I pitch in to help you out?"_

Grima's words echoed in Robin's head from his visit on that certain night. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but the Fell Dragon's help was sounding very tempting right about now. Not that Robin would ever ask for it, of course. He'd much rather take his chances fighting off an entire army alone rather than ask Grima for help.

"Can everyone, minus Robin, leave the room?" Reina suddenly asked, looking at Chrom, Virion, and the Khans. "Not to sound pretentious, but I don't think you four will be able to contribute much on a scale this big."

Thankfully, none of them took offense and understood. Giving Robin and Reina a few words of encouragement, they left the room. The instant the door closed behind them, all the poise that Reina had vanished immediately. She walked over to the side of the room and collapsed into one of the chairs, covering her face with an arm. At once, the woman that was in front of Robin wasn't the tactician of the Shepherds who led them to victory against nigh impossible odds. Right now, she was Reina, a single woman who was shouldering a burden that was too heavy for anyone to bear.

"Tell me that you have something in mind," Reina weakly said. Her voice was strained, as if the burden that she was bearing became physical. "Something. Anything."

He shook his head. There were simply too many factors and variables in play, and the Ylissean League didn't have nearly enough resources to counter them all. Despite the losses, things seemed a lot simpler back in his world, where he originally led an attack from Valm Harbor to the Mila Tree to gain the support of Lady Tiki. With her, the Ylissean League was able to rally the Resistance under a single banner to take Fort Steiger, only to be betrayed and forced to flee south as Basilio sacrificed himself to buy them time to defeat Yen'fay. With that, there was only Walhart himself to fight, but the Conqueror was a practically a demon in human form. It was only with the help of an outsider that Walhart was defeated -

"That's it!" Robin suddenly shouted, startling Reina in her seat. "I got it!"

Reina slowly leaned forward. Her curiosity could easily be seen in her eyes, and she motioned for Robin to continue.

"Where's Stahl and Cherche? I need both of them. More specifically, I need their cooking."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

A shadow rippled at the outskirts of one of the Valmese camps and a lone figure strode out. Dressed in white and red clothing, he easily blended into the ranks of the Valmese infantry, who also favored the colors that he wore. He slid in and out of group of soldiers as he made his way towards his destination. Even though he was out in the open, not a single soul gave him a second glance. Their eyes would merely move past him as if he wasn't even there.

 _'Seriously, Porcus, how do you do it? No matter how many times I see it, your skill for misdirection is fascinating.'_

Porcus smiled as Grima's voice appeared in his head. To Porcus, it wasn't anything difficult. Blending into crowds and hiding in the open was something that was ingrained in him from many years ago, and was now something that he did subconsciously.

 _'If it intrigues you so, then perhaps I shall teach you when I return?'_ Porcus suggested.

 _'Hmm…tempting. Let me think on that for a little bit. Just deliver my message and then go mess with Walhart a bit.'_

 _'Of course.'_

Grima's presence faded from Porcus's mind, leaving the assassin alone. He quickly walked through the encampment. Figuring that it'd be nearly impossible to find his target through normal means, he decided to use a skill that was passed down through his bloodline.

His vision flashed momentarily before the color in the world around him started to fade. The tents, ground, sky, trees, and even the Valmese soldiers were engulfed in a shade of dark blue. However, what came in place of that was a pair of glowing footprints on the ground. A small smile appeared on Porcus's face and he began to follow footprints. On multiple occasions, he ran into a group of soldiers, but he easily walked through them like how water would flow between rocks. After a minute of walking, the footprints entered a fairly large tent, which was also glowing in the same manner as the footprints. He had found his target's lodgings.

He was about to deactivate his heightened vision, but he felt something was off. Almost as if there was still a little more to do before he came across his target. Pushing aside the tent flap, he entered and saw…no one. It was nothing more than an empty tent, completely and utterly devoid of any personal effects.

A sharp sound pierced the air, similar to the sound of glass cracking. He felt eyes in the room, but there was no one to be seen. A second later, a cloud of black smoke appeared in the center of the tent.

"Who's there?" A pudgy man stepped out from the smoke. His dilated eyes wildly darted around the tent in search of something…or someone. "I know you're here! My scrying eye may be fooled, but my wards cannot!"

Smiling to himself, Porcus willed himself to be seen and let his vision return to normal. The pudgy man practically jumped in the air from shock. In his eyes, Porcus appeared out of thin air at the tent's entrance.

"Who are you?" The man jabbed a finger at Porcus.

"No one of consequence." Porcus took a step forward.

"You think yourself to be smart?" The man glared. "I should have you burned to cinders for intruding!"

"I would not do that if I were you," Porcus warned. "Lord Grima is the one that sent me here, after all. It would not bode well for you to provoke his ire."

The man paled at Grima's name. He took a shaky step back and his eyes widened in fear. Cold sweat rolled down his cheeks, and he reached into his robe with a trembling hand.

"Wh-Who are you?" The man asked again.

"I bring a message from Lord Grima," Porcus said, ignoring the man's question. " _'Do not do anything stupid or rash. You were placed in Valm with a single order. Deviate from that, or do anything to anger me, and I will have your life. That includes your little toys. Use them without abandon and you risk incurring my wrath.'_ That is all."

The man sputtered nonsense as he failed to form words in his mouth. A desperate smile then formed on his face and he began to laugh.

"Y-You're bluffing! Th-There's no way that you're a messenger! I've earned Grima's trust, so if he wanted to send me a message, he would have done it himself!" The man started to giggle hysterically. "I bet you're one of Cervantes or Walhart's men! How else would you have known about my creations?!"

"You delude yourself, Excellus," Porcus said, his voice rising a little. "You are not as sly as you think you are. Lord Grima has been keeping an eye on your movements for a long time, and he does not see you to be so important to come see you himself. He does not have time to entertain you and your little game."

Veins of anger popped up on Excellus's forehead. "Game? GAME?! YOU WOULD DARE CALL MY WORK A MERE - HRK!"

Excellus's words got caught in his throat as Porcus's anger momentarily flared. The intimidating presence from the Deadlord sent fear into the hearts of every soul in the camp, and those of weak will collapsed onto their knees from fear alone.

"I would advise you to watch your tone," Porcus said slowly. "While Lord Grima did indeed put you in charge of the war in Valm, you are but one of the few pawns on the chessboard."

As if on cue, three figures materialized from darkness on Excellus's left, right, and back. The first was Simia, the second was Gallus, and the third one was Bovis, the newest Deadlord. With Porcus standing in the front, Excellus was surrounded on all four sides by some of the most powerful beings in the land.

"Che, this ugly toad is annoying me, acting all high and mighty like this." Bovis crossed her arms and glared at Excellus through her horned helmet. "Why not just kill him off right now? It's not like he's needed for anything."

""Toad?"" Excellus whirled around to face Bovis while pulling out a tome from inside his robes. "Who do you think you - "

In a flash, Bovis materialized her sword in her hands and rested it on Excellus' neck. "Make a move, _toad,_ and your head rolls onto the floor," she growled.

To prove her point, red energy flared around the sword. The instant the energy came into contact with Excellus's skin, the flesh was sliced open, drawing a fine line of red.

"I, for one, agree with Bovis," Simia said. She looked down on Excellus in disdain written on her face. "This sad excuse for a tactician brings insult to the one in my memories."

"Peace, Bovis, Simia." Porcus raised his hand in a placating gesture. "If Lord Grima wished him dead, then he already would be."

"The hell makes you think I'd listen to you, an assassin?" Even from behind the full helmet, Porcus could tell that Bovis shifted her gaze from Excellus and onto him. "You assassins are cowards, hiding and sneaking around for your kills instead of facing them head on."

"I believe your answer can be found with those whose lives I've ended," he calmly replied. "If you wish, I can introduce you to them."

"Calm down, you guys! We shouldn't be fighting!" Gallus said, trying to ease the tension between her companions.

"Cocky bastard." Bovis completely ignored the the smaller Deadlord and raised her sword at Porcus. "I'm going to make you eat those words - "

 _ **' _Eno_ ugh of this foolishness.'**_ Grima's voice shook the minds of the four Deadlords. The tone he used rooted them to the spot, and it was clear that the Fell Dragon was not amused. _**' _Porc_ us, Bovis. If the two of you cannot work together for a simple task, then I shall bring the two of you back to Plegia. If you can cooperate, then do as I instructed.'**_

 _'Pardon me, Lord Grima. I got carried away.'_ Porcus mentally lowered his head in apology. Turning his attention back onto Bovis, he motioned over at the tent's exit. "Let us go. Our task is finished here."

"Tch, fine." Bovis clicked her tongue and her sword vanished in a flash of red lightning. "This sorta crap isn't my thing anyways."

Bovis and Porcus both left the tent. A second later, their presence vanished as they walked through another shadow gate, leaving Simia and Gallus alone. Well, not completely alone. Excellus was there as well, having fallen over on his rear from his fear of the Deadlords and also from their killing intent. There was a wet puddle on the carpet beneath his feet, and a vile stench started to fill the tent.

"Let's go, Gallus." Lyn turned on her heel and started to walk across the tent, not wanting be near Excellus any longer.

 _'Actually, I have another job for the two of you,'_ Grima said.

 _'What is it.'_

 _'Oh, don't be like that, Simia,'_ Grima playfully said as she exited the tent. _'It's one that I'm sure you won't mind doing. After all, it has to do with Robin.'_

Lyn froze the moment she stepped into a shadow gate. Gallus walked in right behind her and the gate closed on itself before any of the Valmese soldiers could see.

 _'Aha! I knew that would get your attention!'_ Grima chuckled. _'It isn't anything too taxing. Just need you to keep an eye on that pathetic excuse for a tactician on the floor.'_

 _'What does this have to do with Robin?'_ Lyn scowled. _'If you are comparing that man to - '_

 _'Woah woah woah, nothing like that. Believe it or not, I still have my own pride in having been a tactician in the past. Or, at the very least, took over the vessel who just happened to be a brilliant tactician. Anyways, the reason why I want you to keep an eye on Excellus is because I don't like him. Plain and simple.'_

 _'I thought Excellus was one of your zealous followers?'_

 _'Hardly,'_ Grima scoffed. Even though she couldn't see it, Lyn could tell that Grima was rolling his eyes. _'Not that I care, but Excellus isn't exactly Grimleal. I'll admit that he has enough tact to use others to further his own gains, him being in the Grimleal and puppeteering the Valmese war under my orders being prime examples, but he is far from zealous. Not to mention he has the ego of generations of pretentious nobles combined.'_

Lyn frowned immediately. She knew full well how prideful some nobles could be. She had dealt with plenty of them when her grandfather passed away. Day in and day out, she heard the complaints and gossip about her, and walked past the jealous and lecherous eyes of the other lords of the land. Were it not for Hector and Eliwood, she would've assumed that all nobles were like her granduncle, and were it not for Mark by her side… She shook her head. Those thoughts were unbecoming of her.

 _'With all that in mind, coupled with my distrust and dislike of Excellus, you can see why I would want you to keep an eye on him,'_ Grima pointedly said. _'He's planning something behind my back. That much is obvious, and while I would like to go over there and check myself, I have more pressing matters to attend to, such as conserving my energy to summon another Deadlord. Not to mention that I still haven't mastered shadow travel. So, the most logical thing to do is to have someone that's already in Valm to keep watch on Excellus instead of having to waste time and energy to go myself, right?'_

Despite Lyn's reluctance to admit it, Grima's words had merit. It wasn't until she and Gallus stepped out of the shadow gate and onto a wide plain that she gave Grima a reply.

 _'Very well, but what does this have to do with Robin?'_

 _'Look at the not-so-big picture, dear Blade Master. Excellus is the puppet master of the Valmese army. The Valmese army and the Ylissean League are currently warring with one another. Robin is one of the leading tacticians for the Ylissean League. See where I'm headed with this? Keep an eye on Excellus, figure out what he's doing and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, and we gain knowledge. With knowledge, it'll be much easier to keep events running properly._

 _'Of course, I'm not asking you to watch him for a lengthy amount of time. I'm sure that anyone would lose their mind after continuously staring at Excellus. I swear, if I wanted to torture someone, I would just put them into the same room as Excellus and have the victim stare at him. He's not easy on the eyes. At all. It hurts to look at him.'_

 _'And after finishing that? I'm sure keeping tabs on Excellus isn't the only thing you have in mind.'_

 _'Yeesh, no time for light hearted banter? Makes me wonder what some people saw in you.'_

Lyn's hands balled into fists. It wasn't that she always took things seriously all the time. Years of travelling with Mark cracked her out of that shell, and she remembered spending time with the rest of her group, sharing stories and laughs. It was just that Grima wasn't exactly the person that she could openly trust, and as such, her attitude towards him was colder than it normally would be to others.

 _'Believe it or not, there's nothing much else that I want you to do after watching Excellus. You and Gallus have free reign to do whatever it is that you want until further notice. Go fight off some bandits, travel the world, whatever. I couldn't care less. Just…don't go and mess with my chessboard.'_

The connection got cut off before Lyn could reply, leaving her alone with Gallus, who hadn't spoken a single word during the entire exchange.

"So…uhh… Nice weather today, huh?" Gallus slowly said, eyes looking everywhere except at Lyn.

"Indeed. The breeze is quite pleasant, but there is a foreboding feel to it," Lyn said, looking off into the horizon.

"What do you mean?" Gallus asked as she plopped down onto the soft grass. "There isn't a single cloud in the sky."

Lyn shook her head as she took a seat next to the younger girl. "I was raised on the plains. Being able to tell when a storm is or isn't coming has become second nature to me. Reading the clouds, or the lack of clouds in this case, is no different than reading a simple text."

"Woaah, that's pretty cool," Gallus said in awe, and the talk stopped there.

Silence and time trickled by in tandem. For Lyn, it wasn't anything of a bother. It gave her a chance to meditate, something that she'd been longing to do ever since being summoned. She started to breathe in and out slowly. As the energy in her body started to soothingly circulate, she let her mind wander off, and her immediate thoughts were of that tactician.

That man, Excellus, may be a fool, but he would not do anything too grand for a short time. Lyn knew and met enough Excellus-like men in her life, so she'd have a minimum of a few hours before she'd have to start keeping an eye on him. A few hours of doing nothing. Fortunately for her, that was a few hours she could use in meditation.

"So…"

Unfortunately for her, her companion was not of the same mindset. She ended her meditation and opened her eyes.

"What is it?" Lyn turned to look at Ruby, who was eyeing Mani Katti and Sol Katti with shining eyes.

"CanIseeyourweapons?!"

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

There was a satisfied smirk on Grima's face. He was sitting in a lavish chair of leather as he swirled a cup of wine in one hand. His other arm was being resting against one of the armrest of the chair as he leaned the side of his cheek against the flats of his fingers.

He took a sip from his glass and savored the taste. Truly, the single constant throughout the ages would be the taste of wine. _True_ wine, not that disgusting swill that was sold at marketplaces and taverns. As he stared down at the triangular chess board laid out in front of him, the shadows started to ripple in the center of the room.

"Welcome back to Plegia," Grima said to the shadows, not even turning around. "How was your trip?"

"Not bad. It was nice being able to spread my wings and all," Anguilla replied as she stretched her back. "Figurative, of course. I don't really have wings."

Grima light heartedly chuckled. "I know, Aranea, I know. But trust me when I say that having wings isn't all flowers and sunshine. You'd be surprised how often they get in the way, and cleaning them is quite possibly one of the most annoying things to do. Besides, even without actual wings, your ability to dance in the sky is absolutely fascinating. I'm jealous."

"Right, you're a dragon. And thanks for the compliment," Anguilla casually said as she momentarily forgot her summoner's true identity. "You know, it'd be a lot easier to remember you being a dragon if you weren't always hanging out in that human body."

"I'm the only dragon left in this world. I don't think it'd be _that_ difficult to remember," Grima retorted. "In any case, you accomplished your job, right?"

"Wouldn't be back if I didn't. Merc's pride."

Grima nodded. "Perfect."

The pieces on the triangular chess board started to change. A purple piece in a sea of blue pieces moved back and joined the rest of the purples in Grima's corner. Another two pieces in the midst of blue and two new purples from Grima's corner moved over towards the third corner, where half a dozen red pieces were stationed. And four red pieces, one of them being a very distinct shape, broke away from the rest of the reds and moved towards the blues.

"Not much longer now." Grima downed the last of his wine. "Everything is coming together. Once all the pieces are set in place…"

Grima got out of his chair. He tossed his glass to the side, where it was swallowed by a shadow before it even started to fall towards the ground. A second later, the triangle board vanished with his chair. He flexed his fingers and motes of light started to dance around his fingertips. The motes, which were neither mana, the mana-like light that Bovis sent out, nor any form of magic, vanished a second later, like a candle being blown out by a strong wind.

Grima frown briefly appeared on his lips when the motes vanished before his neutral face settled in once more.

"It'll be time to save this world."

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 **Technically, this story should be considered a Crossover Fic at this point. I have characters (Deadlords) that come in from other franchises, like RWBY, Assassin's Creed, Fate, WoW…and I still have four more Deadlords to bring in. And given the current role that I've given the Deadlords and how they'll play into the "endgame", the Deadlords aren't exactly minor characters. Welp, that's a doozie.**

 **Nine. Nine times I wrote out this chapter, only for it to get scrapped later on. I could not get this chapter to flow properly for the life of me, not to mention I was dealing with some demons known as Procrastination, Sleep, and Monster Hunter World. So much Monster Hunter. And I mean a** _ **LOT.**_

 **Another shameless reference to** _ **Plegia's Strategist**_ **got thrown in. The opportunity was there (completely unplanned, btw), and I took it. That reference was also an easter egg on Nier: Automata as well, so two birds, one stone. Three, if you take into account that the same reference had a very similar easter egg, so I guess that'd make it three birds, one stone.**

 **Shepherds aren't doing so hot in the Valmese War, Deadlords and Grima working behind the scenes, and Excellus is disliked by many (in the story, not you readers. Excellus has gotten two scenes so far, so I'm not too sure on your opinion(s) on him based on this story alone).**

 **Things are starting to come full circle**

 **|Review Reply Area|**

 **\- N-Lorin: One day. One day, there'll be a chapter with no mistakes. Or…at least one that has a mistake that miraculously manages to escape your keen eye. I'm actually feeling quite confident in this one, but I've this dreaded feeling that you'll shatter my confidence soon enough. I hope I'm wrong. || As for Apocrypha? I watched the first couple(?) of episodes and that was about it. Didn't even know it ended when it did.**

 **\- Magic Ball: Yeeaahh, that was an oversight on my part. It's been too long since I touched Blazing, so I'm very, VERY, hazy on the details. The two having the legendary weapons in FE:Heroes doesn't help very much either, screwing with my crap memory even more. I could just pass it [Eliwood and Hector still holding onto Durandal and Armads respectively] as my headcanon, but that just sounds like a sad excuse to me. Though it's not canonical, I'll leave it in there. It's not out of disrespect to you, nor is it out of disrespect to any other fans of Blazing, but it's just so that Eliwood and Hector will be that much more recognizable in the 'recollection'.**

 **\- ragnarok042501: I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. None. None at all. Zero. Zip. Nothing.**

 **\- Godzilla12343: What can I say? I like Mordred. Also, I was originally planning on bringing in Arturia, Gil, EMIYA, or one of the Cu variations, buuuuuuutttt…you can see that they got cut. For many reasons, prime examples being Gil and EMIYA with their Gate of Babylon and UBW respectively.**

 **\- MakeMeOrBreakMe: Thank you for your words! Means a lot! || And I based Grima off of Robin, to be honest. I think I mentioned it in a previous A.N. (not sure which), but my thought process while creating Grima was quite literally, "What if Robin was evil/darker?", and boom. Grima!Robin was born. || And your burn out warning came a bit too late there, no offense. Hahaha! I really am trying with these updates!**

 **\- Broken Sofa: At this point in the story, some references are unavoidable, considering that almost all the Deadlords are crossover characters. I honestly can't do much about it aside from cutting their backgrounds/thoughts from the story of** _ **AA**_ **itself, but then that in itself would cause some problems. Thank you for your input though. I'll try and keep the references to a minimum without messing up the story too much.**

* * *

 **And wow.** **Over six months from the previous update. Of Another Awakening, not on this site. Before that was roughly three months, and before that, about a month and a half. Given this pace, perhaps the next chapter will come in a year!**

 **Kidding. I fear for when that happens, but knowing me, it is very possible. *shrugs* I'll try and _not_ let that happen. I actually want to finish Another Awakening sooner rather than later since I have a few sequel-ish ideas planned out. I already have a rough draft written for the first chapters or so on said ideas, and those chapters contain some heavy spoilers on AA. So, can't really put those up w/o ruining AA.**

 **It may not be the smartest idea, but wanting to work on the sequel is my current drive for finishing Another Awakening. I might be over ambitious, but I'd rather that than be content and not want really have a drive for writing AA aside from finishing it for the sake of finishing it. I promise that I won't let this lower the quality of the chapters, if it has fallen already.**

 **Speaking of lower quality, I rewrote/edited the first few chapters (up to Ch.4) of AA to up their quality. In fact, the first chapter was completely rewritten with the exception of a few lines, while the others only got a few lines added and/or changed.**

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _ **~The following is all E3 2018 stuff, nothing to do with AA. I do talk of the new FE a bit though.**_

* * *

 _ **. . .**_

 **E3. Ooohhh maaannn. Octopath, Anthem, Halo, Fallout, Sekiro, Death Stranding, more KH3, Smash 5, and...**

 **A new FE game, Three Houses. From the trailer and premise alone, the game looks promising. But then again, FE:Fates had some really good trailers, a TON of potential, but then failed to deliver. But, enough of me beating a dead horse. Since the voice over in the trailer kept saying "teacher" and "instructor", I'm assuming there's going to be another "Avatar"/"My Unit" character in the game. Who knows.**

 **Also, the English name is different from the Japanese name, not unlike Fates (If). To quote shadwofchaos725 on twitter,** "Fire Emblem Three Houses is ファイアーエムブレム 風花雪月 (fuuka setsugetsu). That title is associated with the beauty and appreciation of the four seasons. The snow of winter, the moon of autumn, the winds of summer, and the flowers of spring."

 **I don't know about you guys, but I'm curious as to exactly this'll mean aside from the obvious.**

 **We were also shown three main lord-like characters. Edelfelt (white haired girl w/ a red cape), Dimitri (blonde dude w/ blue cape), and Claude (black haired dude w/ yellow cape), and then there's the blue-green haired character that doesn't like wearing his coat's sleeves that the camera follows, Byleth, who I'm assuming to be the Avatar/MU/instructor/teacher. While having/not having an Avatar won't make or break it for me, I do like it when I can customize a character.**

* * *

 **Nothing about Golden Sun. Really bummed out about that.**

 **8 years, Camelot. 8 years since Dark Dawn, which ended in a cliffhanger, and 15 since The Lost Age. Gimme something here. Or throw a Golden Sun rep into Smash 5. Like Felix. Forget Issac; if it wasn't for Felix, he'd {SPOILER OF 15 YEARS AGO} have doomed the world. Any of the Adepts could do well in Smash with both melee, Psynergy, and Djinns. Summons could be the Final Smash or something. Come oooonnnnn.**


End file.
